Yusei Kikuchi takes aim at Astros' trade deadline critics after lifting Houston to another win

When the Houston Astros traded for Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, practically everyone agreed that they got fleeced.

The Astros sent rookie pitcher Jake Bloss, their No. 9 prospect, rookie outfielder Joey Loperfido and minor league infielder Will Wagner, their No. 13 prospect, to the Blue Jays in what seemed like an exorbitantly high price tag for Kikuchi, a 33-year-old with a 4.75 ERA.

Kikuchi was streaky in Toronto, but he appears to have hit his stride in Houston, and his latest start is further evidence to that effect. He held the Los Angeles Angels to three runs and three hits while striking out six batters in seven innings to lift the Astros to a 5-3 victory Friday night at Angel Stadium.

Yusei Kikuchi silences trade deadline critics after lifting Houston to another win to remain undefeated with Astros

With this latest win, Kikuchi remains undefeated in a Houston uniform. He has pitched to a spotless 5-0 record with a 3.19 ERA and 0.94 WHIP while holding opposing batters to a .185 average over eight starts for the Astros, and he has become a critical piece of their playoff push.

Kikuchi's arrival in Houston has coincided with the Astros' late-season turnaround that has seen them surge to the top of the American League West standings. Houston's pitching staff led all of baseball in the month of August with a combined 2.51 ERA, thanks in large part to Kikuchi's contributions – and a major adjustment to his pitch arsenal.

Kikuchi regularly featured both a slider and a curveball during his time in Toronto. Since joining the Astros, however, he has increased his slider usage while rarely throwing his curve. While Kikuchi was with Toronto, right-handed batters hit .280 with a .441 slugging against him. But with Houston, he has limited righties to a .173 batting average and .315 slugging.

It's still too early to tell how any of the pieces the Blue Jays got from Houston will turn out down the road, but the Astros appear to have unlocked something with Kikuchi as they continue their march toward the playoffs. Maybe, just maybe, that deadline deal wasn't as lopsided as we initially thought.

More Astros content from Climbing Tal's Hill