Seth Lugo Dominates the Yankees for 16th Victory

Kansas City Royals Win 5-0

On a hot summer night at Kauffman Stadium, Seth Lugo put on a pitching clinic against the New York Yankees, leading the Kansas City Royals to a 5-0 victory. Lugo allowed only two hits and two walks over seven shutout innings, striking out nine batters. It was his 16th win of the season, tying him for the major league lead.

Royals Offense Provides Early Support

The Royals gave Lugo an early lead with a pair of runs in the first inning. Salvador Perez led off the game with a single, and Andrew Benintendi followed with a walk. Bobby Witt Jr. then singled in Perez to give the Royals a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, MJ Melendez hit a sacrifice fly to score Benintendi and make it 2-0.

The Royals added three more runs in the fourth inning. Michael A. Taylor led off with a double, and Perez followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Benintendi then hit a sacrifice fly to score Taylor, and Witt singled in Perez to make it 4-0. Melendez capped the scoring with an RBI single to score Witt.

Lugo's Dominance on the Mound

Lugo was in complete control throughout his outing. He threw 93 pitches, 62 for strikes, and induced 10 swings and misses. The Yankees lineup, which entered the game averaging 5.1 runs per game, was completely shut down by Lugo's fastball-changeup combination.

"I felt good from the start," Lugo said after the game. "My changeup was working well, and I was able to locate my fastball where I wanted it. The defense played great behind me, and we were able to get the win."

Royals Win Series, Improve to 63-54

The Royals' victory gave them a 2-1 series win over the Yankees and improved their record to 63-54. They are now in third place in the AL Central, 5.5 games behind the Minnesota Twins.

"This was a big series win for us," Royals manager Mike Matheny said. "We played well in all three games, and Seth Lugo was outstanding tonight. We're starting to play our best baseball of the season, and we're looking forward to the rest of the year."