Royals pitcher pulls off dramatic feat not seen since 2019 in win vs Angels

The Kansas City Royals haven’t given their fans much to cheer about over the last few seasons. The 2024 Royals hope to change that and they’ve at least turned some heads throughout the first six weeks of the season. That continued on Sunday with a signature performance from right-hander Seth Lugo, one of the many free agents the Royals added in the offseason.

Lugo tossed an eight-inning gem in a win against the Los Angeles Angels, striking out 12 batters without issuing a walk. He is the first Royals pitcher to achieve that feat since Mike Montgomery in 2019, per Sarah Langs. Luke Hochevar struck out 13 batters without a walk in 2009, the most strikeouts in such a game in Royals history.

Lugo has pitched lights out for the Royals and is putting up elite numbers through nine starts. His 1.66 ERA is tops in the American League and third-best in all of baseball. He’s thrown the most innings in 2024 and leads the American League with six wins.

The 34-year-old Lugo used every pitch in his arsenal to get through Sunday’s start. It was his longest outing since his final appearance in 2023 when he came one out away from a complete game.

“Pitching around guys wasn’t quite part of [the game plan],” Lugo said, per Anne Rogers. “Not walking anybody was huge, and really, I was executing pitches and focusing on that.”

Lugo went 16 consecutive starts with a walk before Sunday. He has not walked more than two batters in any start this season.

Lugo is proving to be worth every penny the Royals gave him in December when he inked a two-year deal worth $30 million. The contract includes a player option for a third year. Lugo will have several options after the 2025 season if he keeps pitching like this.

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