Seth Lugo clinched his eighth win of the season, marking him as the first pitcher in the American League to achieve this milestone. Michael Massey and Bobby Witt Jr. both hit home runs as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 8-1 on Friday night, extending their winning streak to seven games.
Lugo, now with an impressive 8-1 record, allowed only one run and four hits in the game, reducing his already remarkable ERA from 1.79 to 1.74. Among major league pitchers, only Ranger Suárez from Philadelphia has more wins, with nine.
Kansas City’s manager, Matt Quatraro, praised Lugo’s performance, calling it “amazing.” Lugo also made history as the first Royals starter to win each of his first five road starts in a season.
Despite not feeling at his best, Lugo managed to keep his composure and control the game, striking out three batters and issuing two walks.
The Royals continue to impress with their performance this season, reaching a season-high of 14 games over .500 with a record of 33-19. Last season, they were struggling at 15-37 after 52 games and didn’t reach 33 wins until August 1st.
Michael Massey contributed significantly to the Royals’ victory with a three-run homer in the fifth inning, extending his streak of RBIs to 21 in the last 21 games. However, he had to leave the game in the sixth inning due to lower back tightness.
Bobby Witt Jr. also played a crucial role, extending his hitting streak to seven games with a solo homer in the seventh inning. The Royals’ strong offensive performance has been consistent, tying a franchise record set by the 1978 team of scoring eight or more runs in five consecutive games.
Despite their efforts, the Tampa Bay Rays struggled, losing their fifth consecutive game and falling to a record of 25-27. They managed to score only one run in the first inning, despite loading the bases with just one out against Lugo.
