Seth Lugo put on a pitching masterclass with 10 strikeouts over seven innings as the Kansas City Royals secured a 5-0 victory over the New York Yankees. Salvador Perez contributed to the win with two run-scoring singles, reaching a milestone of 100 RBIs for the second time in his career.

Tommy Pham smacked a home run and Bobby Witt Jr. added an RBI single for the Royals. The win kept them 2 1/2 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins for the second AL wild card spot and trailing first-place Cleveland by 3 1/2 games in the AL Central.

Lugo dominated the powerful Yankees lineup, allowing only three singles and no walks while retiring 17 consecutive batters after an initial hit in the first inning. Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves and Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers joined Lugo in a tie for the MLB lead in wins.

In a pitching duel, Lugo outshined former Mets teammate Marcus Stroman, who gave up three runs over 5 1/3 innings. The Royals’ Kyle Isbel scored twice after leadoff singles, breaking their six-game losing streak on the road.

In injury updates, the Royals’ Michael Lorenzen and Will Smith were working on their recovery plans. Lorenzen was set for a rehab outing, while Smith was progressing through bullpen sessions. Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu’s return this season due to a right hip impingement remained uncertain.

The upcoming match will feature All-Star LHP Cole Ragans for the Royals against rookie RHP Luis Gil for the Yankees. Ragans, the first Royals lefty to achieve 200 strikeouts in a season, will face Gil, who recently returned from the injured list and pitched impressively against the Chicago Cubs.

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