HOUSTON -- Yusei Kikuchi tied a franchise record by striking out eight consecutive batters and finished with 11 total strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings in his Astros debut and helped his new team to a 3-2 win over the Rays on Friday night at Minute Maid Park.

Kikuchi, acquired in a trade with the Blue Jays on Monday, gave up a double and a homer on six pitches to begin the game before settling in to retire 16 of the final 20 batters he faced and allowing one more hit. He struck out the final two batters of the third inning and retired the side on strikeouts in the fourth and fifth.

He became the first Astros pitcher since Justin Verlander on Oct. 4, 2022, to strike out eight consecutive batters. Yandy Díaz led off the sixth and drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch, ending Kikuchi’s bid at a franchise-record ninth consecutive strikeout. Kikuchi struck out the next batter, giving him nine consecutive outs via strikeouts.

The game was tied at 2 in the seventh when the Astros rallied after two outs. Yordan Alvarez dropped a single into left field, went to third base on a Yainer Diaz double and scored when Rays second baseman Christopher Morel made an errant throw home on the play.