The Mets may be wishing now they made Seth Lugo a starter in spite of everything.
The previous Met turned the American League’s first 10-game winner within the Royals’ 7-2 win over the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Lugo (10-2) allowed two runs and 6 hits in six innings.
The 34-year-old right-hander — who additionally leads the AL in innings (97 ¹/₃) and is fifth in ERA (2.40) — struck out 4 and walked one to hitch Philadelphia’s Ranger Suárez as the one pitchers within the majors with 10 wins.
“It feels nice. I by no means obtained to 10 wins within the huge leagues or within the minors. I’ve been ready for that one,” stated Lugo, who obtained a giant offensive elevate from MJ Melendez who hit a grand slam within the fifth inning on a 12-pitch at-bat.
Lugo, who has a shot to be named an All-Star, outlasted Dodgers star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto whose begin was minimize brief after two innings due to triceps tightness.
Lugo — who signed a three-year, $45 million contract (the third yr is a participant possibility) with the Royals this offseason — already has surpassed his earlier excessive in wins.
Final season, Lugo went 8-7 with a 3.57 ERA in 146 ¹/₃ innings for the Padres in his first full-time season as a starter, however determined to not choose up the choice on the second yr of his take care of the membership and determined to be a free agent.
Lugo, spent his first seven years with the Mets, largely as a reliever.
He made 275 appearances (38 begins) for the membership, pitching to a 3.48 ERA and sprinkling in 16 saves to go together with a 32-24 document throughout that span.
Lugo has by no means been shy about his need to be a beginning pitcher, however the Mets largely stored him within the bullpen after the 2017 season, throughout which he had a 4.71 ERA whereas making 19 appearances (18 begins).
However, Lugo stated final season he had no unwell will towards the Mets.
“No bitterness,” Lugo stated. “The Mets handled me very well for a very long time. Most of my grownup life I used to be in a Mets uniform. Nothing however appreciation for the group.”
He made seven begins in the course of the COVID-impacted 2020 season however didn’t begin in 2019, ’21 or ’22.
Lugo had a 3.60 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 65 innings this yr.
In hindsight — the Mets, who’ve been with out injured ace Kodai Senga all season — possible want to have an efficient winner and innings-eater like Lugo of their rotation.
— with AP
