Seth Lugo’s 12-strikeout performance leads Kansas City Royals to Mother’s Day win
Seth Lugo has been a model of consistency this season.
The veteran right-handed pitcher continues to pile up quality starts for the Kansas City Royals while showcasing his precision on the mound.
Lugo was firing on all cylinders Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels. He allowed one earned run and struck out a career-high 12 batters in eight innings as the Royals won 4-2 at Angel Stadium.
“I had a pretty good game plan and pitching around guys just wasn’t quite part of it,” Lugo said. “Not walking anybody, that was huge. I was really executing pitches and focusing on that. I wasn’t even aware of the strikeouts until late in the game.”
The Royals gave Lugo ample run support — all of it coming in the fourth inning — and improved to 25-17 with the series win.
Lugo was in command all afternoon after shaking off a leadoff first-inning double by infielder Luis Guillorme. From there, Lugo retired the next 11 batters while relying on eight different pitches.
Per Baseball Savant, Lugo’s curveball had the most movement of his Sunday offerings. The pitch registered 13 swings and eight whiffs.
“In the first inning after that double, I had to start using the curveball early in the game,” Lugo said. “As the game went on, I made sure to keep executing it and keep it down and on the edges. I always had trust in that pitch and I was focused on executing it today.”
In all, Lugo threw 112 pitches, 77 for strikes, and the Angels didn’t score until the sixth inning. Designated hitter Willie Calhoun hit an RBI double that scored teammate Mickey Moniak.
Lugo (6-1) didn’t waver in his plan. His eight-inning performance was a season high and he leads the American League with a 1.66 earned-run average.
“Everything is right there so they have to honor every pitch,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “And he changes it up so much. He gets the weak contact early in the count. To strike out 12 and only throw 112 pitches, that’s really remarkable.”
Royals closer Jame McArthur shut the door on the Angels in the ninth. He allowed a solo home run to Calhoun but rebounded to secure his ninth save — and Lugo’s sixth victory — of the season.
Missed previous games of the series?
Game 1: Michael Wacha, Dairon Blanco shine in Royals victory over Angels
Game 2: Adam Frazier’s 9th-inning homer lifts Royals past Angels
Game 3: Cole Ragans falters as Angels earn 9-3 win over Royals
Here are more notable aspects of Sunday’s game:
Royals break through in 4th inning
Angels starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval kept pace with Lugo early in the game. He pitched three scoreless innings during his first run through the Royals’ lineup.
Then, the Royals got another look at the veteran southpaw.
In the fourth inning, Perez laced a leadoff double down the left-field line. Next, Royals designated hitter Nelson Velazquez shortened his swing and drove an 82.2 mph changeup into the outfield.
The Royals continued to string together hits. Catcher Freddy Fermin singled to drive in Perez from third and outfielders Dairon Blanco and Hunter Renfroe also produced in key situations.
“I saw the ball up in the (strike) zone and tried to make a good swing,” Fermin said.
Blanco legged out a bunt single and a base hit by Renfroe drove home Fermin and Nelson Velazquez, who’d singled during the rally. Second baseman Michael Massey also contributed, laying down an RBI sacrifice bunt to bring in Blanco.
“We new Sandoval would be tough,” Quatraro said. “We used our speed and executed the bunt well. Nice to see Renfroe come through there for him. We just put a good inning together and the pitching was the story.”
In total, the Royals had five hits in the fourth inning to open a 4-0 lead. Sandoval (2-6) allowed 11 hits and four runs in six innings.
“(We’ve) just got to keep rolling and keep winning,” Fermin said. “The guys do a great job day by day.”
What’s next on the KC Royals’ schedule?
The Royals now head to the Pacific Northwest to begin a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners on Monday night.
Right-hander Brady Singer will make his ninth start of the season for the Royals. He has a 4.22 career ERA in 10 2/3 innings at T-Mobile Park.
Seattle had not announced a starter for Monday’s game as of early Sunday evening.
This story was originally published May 12, 2024 at 5:26 PM.
