Along with Shinobu Fukuhara, Daisuke Miura, and Shingo Ono, Kuroda was known for receiving very poor run support in Japan. In 2005, he was the starter for a 12 inning pitching relay in a game that ended in a 0–0 tie (April 15 against the Yokohama BayStars; the opposing starter was Daisuke Miura). In 2006 against the Hanshin Tigers, he left the game with a 2–1 lead after pitching 8 innings, but failed to get the win when closer Katsuhiro Nagakawa let up a tying home run with two outs in the 9th inning. He was also recognized as a "Giants Killer", as he seemed to pitch exceptionally well against the Yomiuri Giants.