Seth Lugo Posts Another Dominant Road Start to Make Kansas City Royals History

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo tossed 8.0 innings and allowed just one run to the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, lowering his road ERA this season to 2.37.

Aug 1, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo (67) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. / David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Royals cruised to a 7-1 win over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, never once trailing their AL Central foes.

Vinnie Pasquantino's three-run home run in the first inning and Bobby Witt Jr.'s history-making performance surely helped Kansas City come out on top, but it was Seth Lugo who kept Detroit from ever coming close.

The Royals right-hander tossed 8.0 innings of one-run ball, allowing just four hits and one walk. Even though he only struck out three batters, Lugo stayed balanced and forced the Tigers into 11 groundouts and eight flyouts at their home ballpark.

Lugo now has a 2.37 ERA through 12 road starts this season.

According to TSN's StatsCentre, that is good for the third-lowest ERA by a Royals pitcher through their first 12 starts on the road in a single season. Kevin Appier tops the list with the 1.97 mark he put up in 1992, while Jason Vargas had posted a 2.12 road ERA to this point in 2014.

Among the pitchers that Lugo passed are Paul Splitorff, James Shields, Dennis Leonard and Appier himself.

Lowest earned run average in a season by a @Royals pitcher through their first 12 starts on the road:
1.97- Kevin Appier (1992)
2.12- Jason Vargas (2014)
2.37- Seth Lugo (2024)
2.39- Paul Splitorff (1975)
2.50- James Shields (2013)
2.56- Appier (1996)
2.79- Dennis Leonard (1981) pic.twitter.com/EwZJy33rfj

— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) August 2, 2024

Lugo is 8-2 with a 1.004 WHIP and .210 batting average against on the road this season. The Royals are 9-3 when Lugo pitches in road games, compared to 14-24 when anyone else does.

The righty, who was named an All-Star for the first time last month, is 5-3 with a 2.80 ERA, 1.033 WHIP and .225 batting average against through 11 home starts in 2024.

On the whole this season, Lugo is 13-5 with a 2.57 ERA, 1.018 WHIP and 4.5 WAR. He leads the American League in wins, starts, innings pitched and batters faced, which is quite the accomplishment for a 34-year-old pitcher who had never won double-digit games or tossed 150.0 innings in a season prior to 2024.

Lugo was a part-time starter when he broke into the big leagues with the New York Mets in 2016 and 2017, but he mostly came out of their bullpen for the next five seasons. The San Diego Padres gave Lugo a chance to start full-time in 2023, and the Royals liked what they saw.

Kansas City awarded Lugo with a three-year, $45 million contract last December, taking a flier on a veteran who was 40-31 with a 3.50 ERA, 1.173 WHIP and 10.4 WAR for his career.

That gamble has seemingly paid off thus far, as the Royals own the third AL Wild Card spot with less than two months to go in the regular season.

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