Seth Lugo’s struggles continue vs. Tigers. When will he get back on track?
It’s been a slow burn for Kansas City Royals starter Seth Lugo in recent weeks. Since the All-Star Break, the Royals ace hasn’t looked like himself on the mound.
Lugo entered Friday night — a 5-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium — with a 7.24 ERA in eight starts following the Midsummer Classic. And his ninth one wasn’t his best performance.
“You know, I threw the ball OK,” Lugo said postgame. “I walked too many guys and didn’t pitch deep into the game. So you know, I felt like I let the team down. I feel like the bullpen picked me up and we were in it until the last out.”
The Royals gave Lugo a three-run lead in the first inning. However, Lugo struggled to put away the Tigers with two outs. He faced two bases-loaded situations early in the game — one in which he avoided trouble and another that hurt him.
In the second inning, Lugo allowed a two-run single to Kerry Carpenter with the bases loaded, which cut into the KC lead. Later, Lugo allowed a two-run double to Riley Greene as he departed in the fourth inning.
“I feel like I made some good pitches, but you know, obviously need to be a little bit better,” Lugo said. “Don’t want to go through those stretches, but got to be better. And you know, I think it’s an easy fix. And I made some adjustments to help me out.”
The Tigers did their best to work counts. Lugo surrendered eight hits and walked four batters in 3 ⅓ innings. He was charged with four runs as the Royals were forced to look to their bullpen.
Lugo admitted he needs to work ahead in counts. The Tigers did their damage with two strikes as Lugo couldn’t put them away.
“It seems very rare,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “You know, it’s not like he is spraying the ball all over the place. It’s more about finishing the pitches when you get ahead because he got ahead of plenty of guys tonight. That’s a good hitting team too, but at the same time, we’re used to seeing him stay off the barrel or execute with two strikes.”
The Royals signed Lugo to a lucrative contract extension on July 28. He will remain with the organization through the 2027 season with a vesting option for 2028.
However, things are trending the wrong way for the KC All-Star. He has allowed 31 runs in 32 ⅓ innings while failing to complete at least five innings in five of his last seven starts.
A larger question now looms: Is Lugo fatigued?
“He missed a couple of starts earlier in the year, so you know, we’re not thinking that way,” Quatraro said. “He’s a guy that knows his body and it’s the healthiest he has been in a while. We can certainly discuss it, but not something that’s been on the forefront.”
Lugo’s next start lines up against the Los Angeles Angels later this homestand.
Mike Yastrzemski was a major highlight for KC
Royals leadoff hitter Mike Yastrzemski stood at third base. By all accounts, he was having a great game.
In the first inning, Yastrzemski sparked a three-run frame with his 11th career leadoff homer. It was the fourth time he has done so with the Royals this season.
But that run didn’t matter at the moment. Instead, Yastrzemski represented the game-tying run in the seventh inning, just 90 feet away.
“Just got to keep our foot on the pedal there in the middle innings,” Yastrzemski said. “You know, we’ve got to put up runs there no matter what. ... Whether it’s one run at any given point, we’ve just got to keep applying pressure.”
Yastrzemski led off the seventh with a double into the right-field corner. He advanced to third base after KC superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. moved him over.
It was all set up for the Royals. The thunderous trio of Vinnie Pasquantino, Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez were due up in succession. And the Royals had just one out.
However, Yastrzemski was still at third base when the inning ended. Pasquantino struck out against Tigers reliever Kyle Finnegan. Garcia worked a walk, but Perez grounded out to end the frame.
The Royals were left empty-handed.
And Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler stretched the lead with a solo homer in the eighth inning. The Royals were held scoreless after the first.
So the Tigers, who trailed by three runs early in the game, ended up with a comeback victory.
Detroit has won eight of the first 11 meetings this season against the Royals.
“You’ve just got to keep fighting, show up tomorrow and play hard again,” Yastrzemski said.
Yastrzemski finished 3-for-5 and came a triple shy of the cycle. Garcia added his 14th home run in the loss.
AL Wild Card update
The Royals have kept tabs on the American League Wild Card race. On Friday, KC had a chance to inch closer to the Seattle Mariners for the third and final wild-card spot.
The Mariners lost 5-4 to the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. However, with their own loss, the Royals remain three games behind the Mariners with 27 games to play.
The teams are on a collision course in September. The Mariners come to Kauffman Stadium from Sept. 16-18 for three games. KC split a four-game series in Seattle earlier this season.
What’s next: The Royals continue their weekend series against the Tigers on Saturday night. Stephen Kolek (4-5, 4.18 ERA) will make his Royals debut at Kauffman Stadium opposite Jack Flaherty (7-13, 4.87 ERA). First pitch is set for 6:15 p.m. Central.
This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 10:28 PM with the headline "Seth Lugo’s struggles continue vs. Tigers. When will he get back on track?."
