Angels nearly succeed playing mind games with Royals but offense failed to deliver

It's been almost a decade since Johnny Cueto donned a Kansas City Royals uniform, but the crowd in attendance for Wednesday's game at Kauffman Stadium certainly didn't forget his contributions to their World Series championship run in 2015.

Cueto was traded to KC in 2015 as the Royals were looking to bolster their starting rotation heading into the second half of the season. Cueto had previously enjoyed two All-Star seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, and the Royals were hopeful that he could help deliver a championship to Kansas City.

Angels nearly succeed playing mind games with Royals but offense fails to deliver

And while the right-hander made his 2024 debut in familiar territory, Cueto was in the opposing dugout on Wednesday. The Los Angeles Angels selected Cueto's contract ahead of the game, and the veteran did his part to keep the Halos in the ball game. Perhaps there was a bit of gamesmanship on the part of Ron Washington and the Angels' front office by allowing Cueto to toe the rubber against his old team, but LA's bat were ineffective and right-hander took the loss.

Cueto did his part. While recording just one strikeout, Cueto went 6 1/3 innings and allowed just three runs on eight hits while walking two batters. Cueto had spent the entire 2024 season down in the minor leagues, with stints in both the Angels and Texas Rangers organizations.

While Cueto's best years are clearly behind him, the Halos needed a spot starter to replace Jose Soriano, who hit the IL last week with arm fatigue. Following his performance on Wednesday, it's quite likely that Cueto's audition will continue with a second start early next week.

His counterpart, a former Angels pitcher himself, picked up the win with a stellar outing of his own. Michael Lorenzen went seven innings and allowed just four hits. The Souther California native struck out five Angels hitters and walked just two. The Royals bullpen then finished the job and didn't allow a hit over the final two innings.

The Angels will make the trek north of the border for a four-game stop in Toronto against the struggling Blue Jays. The Halos hope to get the bats back on track after dropping two of three to Royals this week.

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