(Photo Credit: USA Today Sports)

It was a career day for Seth Lugo.

Lugo racked up a career-high 12 strikeouts and allowed one run over eight strong innings, and Hunter Renfroe had a two-run single against his former team as the Kansas City Royals’ notched themselves a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

Lugo’s performance really impressed the locker room.

“To strike out 12 and only throw 112 pitches, that’s really remarkable,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Just the confidence that you have when he’s out there. He just comes out and it feels like he’s in total control all the time.”

Lugo retired 11 straight Angels at one point, and for the first time in his career, the 34-year old pitcher did not walk a batter.

“We were counting on him to be one of the top couple of starters we had,” Quatraro said. “What he’s done so far, I don’t think anybody can bank on that run of starts, but the way he’s done it is really impressive, and he hasn’t wavered. … I can’t even fathom having nine pitches to choose from, (and) the fact he uses them and they all do something and he can locate all of them.”

With the victory over the Angels, the Kansas City Royals now are 25-17 on the season. They are 6-4 in their last 10 games, and are jumbled in with a crowded American League Central division where a half-game separates three teams.