Royals pitcher Jordan Lyles secured a peculiar piece of MLB history with win over Rays
Fans who watched the Royals’ 9-4 win over the Rays on Saturday saw a first in Major League Baseball history.
They just may not have realized it.
Royals starter Jordan Lyles, who entered the game with an 0-11 record and 6.72 ERA, got his first victory of the season. It was the first time the Royals had won a Lyles start this season after losing an MLB-record 15 straight games to open the season.
Opta Sports said Lyles was the first pitcher in Major League Baseball’s modern era (starting in 1901) with a record of 0-10 or worse to win on the road against a first-place team.
That’s a peculiar note, and this confirms there really is a statistic for everything.
The Rays gave Lyles his due.
“I think we’re in a tough stretch right now. Wins just haven’t come easy for us,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said on MLB.com. “Felt good about yesterday, and then today, give the Royals credit. They put it to us, beat us in every part of the game.”
Rays outfielder Luke Raley told the Tampa Bay Times: “It’s very uncharacteristic of us. But it’s baseball. It happens sometimes. You’ve got to tip your cap sometimes and move on.”
The Rays did that as they beat the Royals 3-1 on Sunday.
This story was originally published June 26, 2023 at 9:30 AM.
