McHugh (1-1) defeated the Royals on Monday behind seven shutout innings in which he struck out four, walked one, and allowed eight hits.
McHugh's strongest aspect is his control, and he pounded the zone Monday night against the Royals. He tossed 72 strikes against just 30 balls and threw first pitch strikes to 19 of 30 hitters. Despite the brilliant start, McHugh's ERA is still an ugly 6.14, as he failed to get out of the first inning in a disastrous first start of the season against the Yankees. McHugh has a 3.39 ERA in 358.1 innings over the past two seasons, so don't let that first start color your perceptions.