The Mets might be wishing now they made Seth Lugo a starter after all.
The former Met became the American League’s first 10-game winner in the Royals’ 7-2 win over the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Lugo (10-2) allowed two runs and six hits in six innings.
The 34-year-old right-hander — who also leads the AL in innings (97 ¹/₃) and is fifth in ERA (2.40) — struck out four and walked one to join Philadelphia’s Ranger Suárez as the only pitchers in the majors with 10 wins.
“It feels great. I never got to 10 wins in the big leagues or in the minors. I’ve been waiting for that one,” said Lugo, who received a big offensive lift from MJ Melendez who hit a grand slam in 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 start was cut short after two innings because of triceps tightness.
Lugo — who signed a three-year, $45 million contract (the third year is a player option) with the Royals this offseason — already has surpassed his previous high in wins.
Last 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, but decided not to pick up the option on the second year of his deal with the club and decided to be a free agent.
Lugo, spent his first seven years with the Mets, mostly as a reliever.
He made 275 appearances (38 starts) for the club, pitching to a 3.48 ERA and sprinkling in 16 saves to go along with a 32-24 record during that span.
Lugo has never been shy about his desire to be a starting pitcher, but the Mets mostly kept him in the bullpen after the 2017 season, during which he had a 4.71 ERA while making 19 appearances (18 starts).
Nevertheless, Lugo said last season he had no ill will toward the Mets.
“No bitterness,” Lugo said. “The Mets treated me really well for a long time. Most of my adult life I was in a Mets uniform. Nothing but appreciation for the organization.”
He made seven starts during the COVID-impacted 2020 season but did not start in 2019, ’21 or ’22.
Lugo had a 3.60 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 65 innings this year.
In hindsight — the Mets, who have been without injured ace Kodai Senga all season — likely would like to have an effective winner and innings-eater like Lugo in their rotation.
— with AP
