KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Michael Lorenzen pitched seven shutout innings, MJ Melendez hit a home run, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 3–0 on Wednesday for their sixth win in the past seven games.
The Royals spoiled the season debut of Johnny Cueto (0–1), a 17-year veteran who helped Kansas City win the 2015 World Series.
Cueto, 38, hadn’t pitched in the major leagues since Sept. 27 last year with the Miami Marlins. He signed a minor-league contract with the Angels in July and was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake earlier Wednesday. He allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings, and left the mound to an ovation from the Kansas City crowd.
Lorenzen (7–6), an Anaheim, Calif., native and former two-way standout at Cal State Fullerton, surrendered four hits and two walks, hit a batter, and struck out five. He only allowed two runners to reach scoring position. Three of the four hits he gave up came in the first three innings.
“I wasn’t very happy with the first three innings,“ Lorenzen said. ”I was kind of spraying the ball all over the place, getting frustrated with myself. I guess I was able to make that adjustment, and my pitch quality got a lot better.”
Lorenzen gave up a hit to Taylor Ward to lead off the game but got Zach Neto to ground into a double play.
“The double play the second hitter of the game, that was a big relief,” Royals Manager Matt Quatraro said. “It was more of a mentality of let’s just attack here and not work the edges as much. He was on the attack more so after the first couple innings.”
John Schreiber pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Lucas Erceg worked a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his sixth save and fourth since being acquired by the Royals from the Oakland Athletics.
The Royals (71–56) remained tied with the Minnesota Twins for the second American League wild-card spot and moved to within two and a half games of American League Central-leading Cleveland with their first home series win in a month.
The Royals put together a two-out rally in the second to grab a 2–0 lead. Hunter Renfroe and Adam Frazier singled, Maikel Garcia walked, and Kyle Isbel hit a two-run double to the gap in right-center field.
“It was a five-pitch first, and I think he had 12 pitches total in the second before we put those two runs up,” Quatraro said of Cueto. “He got a ton of ground balls. He was working the edges. He’s got the sinker. ... He elevated it, too, so he pitched well.”
Melendez hit a two-out solo home run off the right-field foul pole in the sixth for a 3–0 lead.
“Obviously he’s got good stuff, and he knows how to pitch,” Melendez said of facing Cueto. “He is able to disrupt your timing. He definitely knows what he’s doing up there. ... You just have to stay locked in and stay within yourself and not try to do too much against him.”
Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. doubled in the second inning to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. That’s Witt’s fifth hitting streak of 10 or more games this season.
Roster Moves
The Angels optioned right-hander Hans Crouse to Triple-A Salt Lake to make room for Cueto. They also released right-hander Jose Cisneros in order to to add Cueto to the 40-man roster.Up Next
The Angels had not announced a starter for Thursday’s series opener at Toronto.Michael Wacha (10–6, 3.33 earned-run advarage) is scheduled to start for the Royals on Friday against visiting Philadelphia.
