The Los Angeles Angels and Yusei Kikuchi faced the Brewers in a tense finale , but the mound told the bigger story. Kikuchi voiced frustration after the manager pulled him in the sixth, questioning the staff’s trust. His exit stood out in a season where the Angels sit last in the AL West , making the game as memorable for his words as for the score.

Kikuchi explained his side after the game through interpreter Yusuke Oshima. He admitted he wanted to stay in longer, pointing out how hard he has worked all season. “All year I’ve been grinding for the team, right? So in that spot, I wanted to be trusted a little bit more, and I felt like I wasn’t trusted in that moment,” he told MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger. The statement carried weight because it showed how much pride Kikuchi takes in

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