Johnny Cueto strong in his Angels debut, but Royals’ Michael Lorenzen tops him

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Johnny Cueto held his own in his Angels debut, but Orange County product Michael Lorenzen was better.

Called up to temporarily fill the starting rotation void created when Jose Soriano went on the injured list with arm fatigue, the well-traveled Cueto limited the damage in the Angels’ 3-0 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night. Had the Angels been swinging the bats as efficiently as they had the previous night, it might have been a different outcome for Cueto, but Lorenzen scattered just four singles through seven scoreless innings.

The Royals took the lead on Cueto with a two-out rally in the second inning. Hunter Renfroe and Adam Frazier singled before Maikel Garcia walked. Then No. 9 hitter Kyle Isbel delivered a two-run double.

But Cueto, 38, settled down from there and pitched into the seventh before departing with one on and one out. The only other run Kansas City scored against Cueto came in the sixth, when MJ Melendez launched a homer off the right-field foul pole.

Cueto worked 6⅓ innings, allowing the three runs on eight hits. Having pitched for the Royals during their 2015 World Series championship season, Cueto received a warm round of applause when he left the mound. He responded by tipping his cap to the crowd.

Lorenzen, a former Fullerton High and Cal State Fullerton standout, needed 95 pitches to get through his seven innings.

Having pitched for the Royals during their 2015 World Series championship season, Cueto received a warm round of applause when he left the mound. He responded by tipping his cap to the crowd.

The Royals won two of three in the series and finished 5-2 against the Angels this season.

More to come on this story.