Vinnie Pasquantino hit two home runs, and Seth Lugo allowed only four hits over eight strong innings as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Detroit Tigers 7-1 on Thursday night.
Bobby Witt Jr. also homered for the Royals, who are now 4-0 on their current road trip. Detroit has lost four games in a row and has been outscored 25-5 during that stretch.
“Vinnie is a run producer and he’s had some big games for us lately — following up the homer yesterday with two today,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Bobby was in a mini-slump for him — he was 0 for 2 before he hit the homer and double.”
Lugo (13-5) gave up one run, struck out three, and walked one after a rough July where he went 1-3. He is 7-0 with a 1.31 ERA in nine starts against the AL Central this season.
“The game plan was just to attack hitters,” Lugo said. “I want the ball and I’m in a great place physically. I wanted the ninth, but (Quatraro) made the smart play there.”
Keider Montero (1-5) allowed four runs on six hits in a career-high seven innings. The rookie, one of Detroit’s only two healthy starting pitchers, gave up three runs before recording an out but managed to settle down.
“We made an adjustment to the pitching plan after that inning,” he said through an interpreter. “We knew they were sitting on the slider, so we went to the fastball and the change to keep them off balance.”
Maikel Garcia began the game with a single and stole second and third base without a throw. Witt walked, and Pasquantino hit his 13th home run into the right-field stands for a 3-0 lead.
“With a runner on third and no one out, I’m just trying to get the ball in the air,” Pasquantino said.
Bligh Madris put the Tigers on the board with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, but Freddy Fermin’s RBI single gave Kansas City a 4-1 lead in the seventh.
“Lugo is an All-Star and he’s smart,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “He’s got a ton of pitches that he can use and he feeds off early-count overaggressiveness.”
Witt and Pasquantino hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning off Brenan Hanifee. It was Pasquantino’s first game with two home runs and occurred in the same stadium where he hit his first major league home run on July 1, 2022.
