Seth Lugo makes Kansas City Royals debut. He was dominant before a late KC collapse
The Kansas City Royals valued veteran experience as they looked to revamp their starting rotation this offseason. KC identified free-agent starters Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha as players who fit the bill.
On Saturday, Lugo showcased why he was acquired. Lugo tossed six scoreless innings in his Royals debut at Kauffman Stadium. He allowed two hits, one walk and struck out four batters.
“It took me two or three batters to settle in,” Lugo said. “But, you know, I went out there for the second and I felt like I was getting to work.”
So the starting pitching was excellent. Everything else, however, was not.
The Royals lost 5–1 to the Minnesota Twins. The KC bullpen surrendered all five runs in the loss; closer Will Smith allowed four. He gave up two walks and two hits in the ninth inning.
The Royals fell to 0-2.
On the positive side: Lugo relied on his experience throughout the game. He navigated the Twins lineup with precision and leaned on his defense. Lugo induced seven groundouts as he routinely pitched to contact. He also got nice defensive plays from Royals teammates Maikel Garcia and MJ Melendez.
“My goal is to pitch as deep as possible,” Lugo said. “If you are hunting strikeouts, that tends to get the pitch count up pretty quick. So going for weak contact and ground balls, that’s part of my game plan.”
In the fourth inning, Lugo worked around a leadoff single and hit batter. He induced Twins star Carlos Correa to line out to left field. Later, he retired Twins outfielder Matt Wallner and first baseman Carlos Santana to end the threat.
“He threw the ball really well,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “He had good movement. He was locating, deceptive and gave six shutout innings.”
Both teams failed to score until the sixth inning. KC took a 1-0 lead as Melendez drove home shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. with an RBI single.
Witt finished 2-for-3 with two doubles. Melendez added two hits.
Twins starter Joe Ryan allowed one run across 5 ⅓ innings. He recorded five strikeouts and issued one walk. He relied on his four-seam fastball to generate 17 swings and 12 called strikes, per Baseball Savant.
Minnesota tied the game in the eighth inning. They surged ahead with four runs in the final frame. Twins catcher Christian Vazquez hit an RBI single. Meanwhile, Twins outfielder Byron Buxton capped the late rally with a two-run double.
The three-game series concludes on Sunday afternoon.
Missed the start of this series?
Game 1: KC Royals drop 2024 opener against the Twins
Opinion: Why KC Royals can’t afford slow start after opening day loss
Here are more notables from Saturday’s game:
Royals manufacture 6th-inning run
The Royals didn’t record a hit until the fourth inning. Ryan cruised in his first venture through the Royals lineup until he hit minor turbulence.
Witt drilled a one-out double off the right-field wall. He represented the first Royal in scoring position. Next, Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino drew a walk and set up a potential scoring opportunity.
However, the Royals were denied. Salvador Perez popped out for the second out of the inning. Melendez, who earlier made a nice diving catch, struck out on a 2-2 count.
“We knew coming into this series, both of those starters are really good,” Quatraro said. “They got a deep bullpen. Those guys at the back end have four pitches and throw really hard. So, we know they are going to be tough at-bats.”
In the sixth inning, the Royals faced a similar situation. This time Melendez delivered with an RBI single. He hit a 92.3 mph sinker off Twins reliever Steven Okert. Witt scored from second as the Royals took a 1-0 lead.
Maikel Garcia shines with defensive play
Lugo escaped early trouble in the second inning. He walked Twins outfielder Matt Wallner after getting a quick out in the frame. Wallner advanced to second base after Carlos Santana rolled over to Pasquantino.
This brought Twins designated hitter Ryan Jeffers to the plate. He smashed a line drive down the third-base line. However, Garcia snared the baseball with a diving stop. He threw over to Pasquantino to record the out.
The line drive registered an 86.3 mph exit velocity. Garcia saved a potential extra-base hit and a run from scoring.
“It was an unbelievable play,” Witt said. “We were talking earlier, he is one of one. He does it all. It’s a lot of fun being able to share that side of the infield with him and be able to hit behind him.”
What’s next: The Royals conclude the weekend series on Sunday. Brady Singer draws the start against Twins right-hander Bailey Ober at Kauffman Stadium. First pitch set for 1:10 p.m. Central.
This story was originally published March 30, 2024 at 6:01 PM with the headline "Seth Lugo makes Kansas City Royals debut. He was dominant before a late KC collapse."
