A complete game from the ace!
Seth Lugo gave the Royals their first complete game win in four years, as the Royals swept the White Sox with a 4-1 win on Sunday afternoon.
Lugo was in command for nearly the entire afternoon. Although he gave up an infield single to Tommy Pham to begin the game, Pham was erased trying to steal, and Lugo retired the next 14 hitters in a row. That ended in the sixth, when he hit Nicky Lopez to begin the inning. Lopez advanced to second on a ground out, then scored on an RBI single by Pham to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead.
The Royals squandered a golden opportunity in the bottom of the inning against White Sox rookie Drew Thorpe. Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino each singled with one out, to give the Royals a rally. But Salvador Perez struck out (with a questionable call) and Hunter Renfroe flied out to end the threat.
The Royals used small ball to manufacture a run the next inning. Maikel Garcia reached on an infield single, then advanced to third on a hit by Dairon Blanco. Kyle Isbel lay down a safety squeeze bunt that scored Garcia to tie the game.
Isbel lays down the safety squeeze and the #Royals tie it up! pic.twitter.com/e11UvNWrFK
— Bally Sports Kansas City (@BallySportsKC) July 21, 2024
But if you wait long enough against a terrible team like the White Sox, eventually the dam will break, and it did in the eighth inning. Bobby Witt Jr. continued his hot hitting with a single, his third three-hit game since the All-Star break (he was a ridiculous 9-for-11 this weekend!) Vinnie followed up with a single, and after Salvy struck out, Hunter Renfroe singled home two runs. Dairon Blanco singled home another run to give the Royals a 4-1 lead.
Lugo ended the game retiring the final ten batters he faced. He needed just 103 pitches (69 strikes) to get six strikeouts and no walks, giving the Royals their first nine-inning complete game win since Brad Keller on September 13, 2020.
The Royals go undefeated at home against the White Sox this year and improve to 55-45. They’ll begin a three-game home series against the defending National League champion Arizona Diamondbacks tomorrow evening at 7:10 with Cole Ragans scheduled to face rookie Yilber Diaz.
