Seth Lugo strikes out career-high 12 in 4-2 Royals win

Lugo is looking like one of the best pitchers in the game

Seth Lugo was brilliant for eight innings, lowering his league-leading ERA to 1.66 and the Royals kept the line moving with a four-run fourth inning to defeat the Angels 4-2 and win the series on Sunday afternoon.

Angels starter Patrick Sandoval kept the Royals scoreless over the first three innings, but it was a hit parade in the fourth. Salvador Perez kicked things off with a double, and Nelson Velázquez followed with a single, part of his first multi-hit game since April 13. Freddy Fermin laced an RBI single to left to put the Royals on the board. Dairon Blanco reached on a bunt single, setting up a two-run single by Hunter Renfroe.

The Royals continued their bunting clinic with a beautiful sacrifice by Michael Massey that allowed Blanco to score from third to make it 4-0.

Meanwhile, Lugo was just outstanding. He gave up a leadoff double to Luis Guillorme in the first, then retired the next 11 hitters. The Angels got to him in the sixth on an RBI double to Willie Calhoun, but he limited the damage. Lugo seemed to get stronger over the next two innings, retiring all six hitters in the seventh and eighth with four strikeouts giving him a career-high 12 on the day. He allowed no walks, with 77 of his 112 pitches thrown for strikes.

James McArthur gave up a solo home run to Calhoun to make things slightly interesting but otherwise worked a scoreless ninth for his ninth save.

The Royals improve to 25-17 and will continue their road trip tomorrow evening in Seattle to take on the Mariners.