Seth Lugo is set to make his second start of the season against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night, and the Kansas City Royals need him to steady a club that entered the game at 19-23. The Royals have lost ground because they are not scoring enough, while the White Sox came in at 20-21 and have been one of the early surprises despite their own uneven record.
Lugo, 1-2 with a 3.21 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP, has made eight starts this season and has already had one rough outing against the Los Angeles Angels, when he gave up seven earned runs over 6.1 innings. He also allowed four runs on seven hits over four innings in his last start, so Kansas City is looking for a cleaner night from a pitcher who has mostly handled Chicago well.
That history is hard to ignore. In Lugo's first start against the White Sox this season, he went 6.1 innings and allowed two runs, one earned. He has not allowed more than two earned runs in a game against Chicago in 41.1 career innings, a streak that gives the Royals at least one matchup edge as they try to stop a slide that has left them 6-13 on the road and ranked 22nd in the league at 4.1 runs per game.
The White Sox have their own questions, even if their start has been brighter than expected. They were hitting.231 entering the game, and Munetaka Murakami led them with 15 home runs, but consistency has still been hard to find. Noah Schultz was scheduled to start for Chicago, carrying a 2-2 record, a 4.68 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP into only his third home start of the season.
Schultz had thrown 10.1 innings in his two previous home starts and allowed five earned runs in those outings, while also walking 16 batters in 25 innings overall. He had never faced the Royals before, which adds another layer to a game built around control, matchups and a Kansas City lineup that has struggled to produce enough offense behind Lugo. The Royals also lost 2-0 the last time he took the mound against them, another reminder that this series can turn on a single mistake.
For Kansas City, the task is plain: get Lugo deep into the game and hope the offense can give him more support than it has most nights. For Chicago, the appeal is equally clear, with Schultz trying to keep a surprise start alive against a division opponent that still looks vulnerable when the run total stays low.
