After Stephen Kolek gave the Kansas City Royals’ bullpen a day off, Seth Lugo will try to help claim a series win against the visiting Seattle Mariners on Sunday afternoon.
Kolek delivered a complete-game, four-hit shutout in the Royals’ 5-0 victory on Saturday. He walked one, struck out two and needed 108 pitches to notch Kansas City’s first complete-game shutout since Sept. 13, 2020.
As the Royals’ scheduled starter on Sunday, Lugo (1-4, 3.68 ERA), will have a tough act to follow.
In his last start, Lugo gave up two runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts over six innings in a 3-1 home defeat to the Boston Red Sox on Monday. He has four career appearances (three starts) against the Mariners, going 1-1 with a 5.00 ERA.
On Saturday, Royals manager Matt Quatraro praised the ground balls Kolek induced, something he wants as part of the pitching staff’s game plan.
“I kept an unofficial tally; I think (he threw) 10 or 11 ground balls,” Quatraro said of Kolek. “That’s one thing we want: Attack, keep them on their heels and induce soft contact.”
Bobby Witt Jr. helped spark the offense Saturday with two hits, two runs and a stolen base. His first hit was an infield single, and he later scored on a sacrifice fly to shallow left field.
“He’s got game-changing speed; that’s why this game is unfair,” Quatraro said. “He can maximize the contact he makes.”
For Witt, who is batting .298 with seven home runs, 23 RBIs and 16 stolen bases this season, the approach starts with being ready for his preferred pitches.
“I want to attack in my zones,” he said. “I want to be ready for the fastball at all times and go from there.”
Witt said the Royals want aggressiveness on the basepaths to be part of their identity.
“That’s who we are,” he said. “We want to keep attacking and try to get that extra 90 (feet).”
The Royals on Sunday will face right-hander Bryan Woo (4-2, 3.51 ERA), who most recently led the Mariners to a 6-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Monday.
The 26-year-old limited Chicago to three hits and two walks while striking out eight over six shutout innings. He said he’s better when sticking to the basics.
Monday marked Woo’s third consecutive quality start, third win in a row and third straight outing with eight or more strikeouts.
“The simpler I am, the simpler my thought process is, the better I am,” Woo said.
Woo is 1-0 with a 5.56 ERA in two career starts against the Royals. On May 1, he gave up six runs on seven hits and struck out two in a 7-6 home loss to Kansas City in which he didn’t factor into the decision.
Mariners manager Dan Wilson said his club needs to flush Saturday’s loss quickly. Luke Raley collected three of Seattle’s four hits and leads the team with 10 homers and 27 RBIs this season.
“It was a tough afternoon,” Wilson said, “… but we need to come back tomorrow and be ready to go and win the series.”
–Field Level Media
