Seth Lugo led the Kansas City Royals to a 5-3 victory against the Oakland Athletics on Saturday night, securing his seventh win of the season and striking out 10 batters in the process.
With this win, the Royals reached a record of 28-19, marking the first time they’ve been nine games over .500 since the end of the 2015 season, when they went on to win the World Series. This victory also marked their eighth series win of the season, a milestone they didn’t achieve until mid-September in 2023.
Despite Oakland’s efforts, they suffered their seventh consecutive loss, which is their longest losing streak of the season.
Lugo, who now boasts a 7-1 record, allowed two runs on six hits with a walk over 5 2/3 innings. The 34-year-old pitcher achieved his second consecutive game with double-digit strikeouts, joining a small group of Royals pitchers who have accomplished this feat. James McArthur secured his 11th save of the season.
Although Lugo expressed a desire to pitch deeper into the game to alleviate pressure on the bullpen, his manager praised his performance, noting that his pitches looked strong.
“This was a good challenge for Lugo. It was the first warm and humid night, and you could see it made him work.”
Ross Stripling suffered his eighth loss of the season, the most in the league. The 34-year-old pitcher gave up four runs on nine hits in five-plus innings.
Despite collecting 11 hits, the Athletics struggled to convert them into runs, only managing to score three. “We just couldn’t get the crucial hit,” commented Oakland manager Mark Kotsay. “But there were some positive signs offensively.”
The Royals took an early lead by scoring two runs in the first inning. Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. started with singles, followed by Salvador Perez driving them in with a single to left field.
“I’m happy with any runs we get,” said Quatraro, “but it’s great to start with a lead. We knew Stripling would be a tough opponent.”
The Athletics responded in the second inning when Zack Gelof hit a double and Seth Brown followed with a 445-foot homer to center field, tying the score.
