Lugo (10 K's) shows he's in All-Star form with MLB-leading 11th win

KANSAS CITY -- After a June filled with tests against first-place clubs, the Royals brought out their ace material to close out the month.

Seth Lugo, who now leads the Major Leagues with 11 wins, dealt six innings of scoreless ball with 10 strikeouts in the Royals’ 6-2 win over the AL Central-leading Guardians in front of 27,691 fans on Sunday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.

“I mean, especially with the crowd, it was a big crowd, and they were loud and into it all game, all series really,” Lugo said. “After that tough one yesterday, we really wanted the series win and were able to get it today.”

Lugo flushed Kansas City’s 7-2 loss on Saturday by keeping Cleveland’s offense in check, while allowing just one batter to reach second base. Throughout the now 5-2 homestand, Royals players and staff have been wearing shirts advocating for the righty’s inclusion in this year’s All-Star Game.

After Sunday’s performance, the Royals now believe he should take the ball for the American League.

“Yeah, I think he should,” said Bobby Witt Jr., who went 3-for-4, when asked about Lugo’s chances to start the Midsummer Classic.

“I don’t know if there’s any [question] about it. It’s unbelievable what he’s doing out there and just dominating. The work he puts in, both on and off the field. I’ve been calling him the surgeon for a reason. He’s just dissecting hitters up there.”

After Lugo’s latest gem, he now leads the Major Leagues in ERA (2.17), innings pitched (116), wins and quality starts (14). He’s also up to seventh in the AL in strikeouts (105) after three consecutive outings of eight-plus punchouts.

“This is one of the best pitchers in the American League, if not in baseball this year, and he had everything working today,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “It was kind of like a push button, whatever he wanted, he could’ve gone any direction any time and he did.”

Lugo put together another strong outing despite taking a 106.9 mph comebacker off the wrist on his glove hand in the first inning. Lugo admitted that it was tough to catch the receiving balls from catcher Freddy Fermin, and he was weak on his front side, but it didn’t stop Lugo from executing pitches.

The right-hander tossed six scoreless in his previous outing as well, a game the Royals eventually lost, but a pair of teammates who may join him for the All-Star Game in Texas powered the offense against Cleveland.

Witt logged his ninth game with three or more hits, scoring two runs. He went from home to third in 11.06 seconds on his RBI triple in the fifth, extending the lead to 3-0 and electrifying the crowd at The K.

“The fans love him. This was a good crowd today. It was a big crowd,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “I think they understand that division games are important. … He is a stop what you’re doing and watch kind of player. Whether that’s on TV or that’s here [at the ballpark], that’s the kind of person he is, and that’s the talent he has.”

And then Salvador Perez, who legged out an RBI fielder’s choice to put the Royals ahead in the first inning, clobbered a two-run homer in the seventh for a 6-0 lead. Vinnie Pasquantino also had a three-hit game and extended his RBI streak to seven games, helping pull Kansas City to within seven games of first place.

“It’s great. We know where we’re at, we know where they’re at in the standings,” Lugo said. “To go out and perform and just do what we do, control what we can control, that’s what we did today. That’s how we got the ‘W.’”

The Royals are being forced to grow up fast. After tying the franchise record for losses last year, Kansas City entered July this season holding a playoff spot, with many players competing in meaningful baseball games this late in the season for the first time in their careers.

But to take three of four from Cleveland, and improve to an AL-best 30-16 at home this season, Sunday marked yet another series the Royals have proved they can compete with the top teams in MLB. And with Lugo on the mound, they believe it.

“We know we’re a good team, but we know they’re a good team also,” Lugo said. “I think especially for some of the young guys in this clubhouse, to show that we’re as good as the best, I think that’s going to take us a long way in the future.”