Lugo pitches 7 crisp innings as the Royals beat the White Sox 2-0

CHICAGO (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched seven crisp innings, Vinnie Pasquantino homered and the Kansas City Royals topped the Chicago White Sox 2-0 on Monday night.

Lugo (3-0) allowed four hits — all singles — in his third straight win. The right-hander also beat the White Sox with 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball on April 4.

“I feel like I had most of my pitches moving in the directions I want,” he said. “Was able to locate when I needed to.”

Kansas City improved to 5-0 against Chicago already this season. The surprising Royals have allowed a major league-low 48 runs during their 11-6 start, and the White Sox have scored 34 runs so far — also the lowest total in the big leagues.

Andrew Benintendi had two of Chicago's four hits in its fifth consecutive loss — part of a franchise-worst 2-14 start. The White Sox became the first team to get shut out six times in their first 16 games since the 1907 Brooklyn Superbas, according to Baseball Reference.

“I just think a lot of these guys are pressing,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “But it’s not something we can talk about every single day and use that crutch. We’ve got to make adjustments, plain and simple.”

Braden Shewmake was the only Chicago runner to advance past first base. He singled and swiped second in the fifth, but was stranded there when Robbie Grossman flied to the warning track in right.

Chris Stratton got three outs for Kansas City before James McArthur earned his third save.

Gavin Sheets was hit by a pitch with two down in the ninth, but McArthur struck out pinch-hitter Eloy Jiménez for the final out.

White Sox right-hander Nick Nastrini (0-1) permitted two runs and three hits over five innings in his major league debut. He struck out five and walked two.

“For the most part I thought I executed my game plan really well,” he said, "and I was able to use my fastball the way I wanted to and I was able to use my off-speed in counts I really liked to, so I think for the most part I felt pretty good.”

Nastrini retired his first 11 batters before Pasquantino connected for his third homer in the fourth, a 421-foot drive to right on a 2-1 fastball.

Pasquantino also doubled in the sixth and walked in the eighth after hitting a home run off All-Star closer Edwin Díaz in the ninth inning of Sunday's 2-1 loss to the New York Mets.

“I just feel like I'm trying to go have good at-bats,” Pasquantino said. “That's it. Not really thinking about the result too much.”

Kyle Isbel hit a two-out RBI single in the fifth for Kansas City's second run. The Royals had a chance to break it open, but Bobby Witt Jr. flied out to the wall in center with the bases loaded.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Royals: C Salvador Perez rested after he had an MRI that showed a mild groin strain. He was replaced by Freddy Fermin. Perez left Sunday’s loss at the Mets following a fourth-inning collision at home plate with Starling Marte. ... INF Michael Massey (low back strain) had an off day as he continues his rehab stint with Triple-A Omaha. “He's progressing really well,” manager Matt Quatraro said.

White Sox: Jiménez was activated from the 10-day injured list. The slugger had been sidelined by a left adductor strain.

UP NEXT

Right-handers Brady Singer and Jonathan Cannon take the mound on Tuesday night. Singer (2-0, 0.98 ERA) pitched five innings of one-run ball in Kansas City's 13-3 victory over Houston on Thursday. Cannon will make his major league debut for Chicago.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Chicago White Sox outfielder Dominic Fletcher catches a fly out from Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. during the fifth inning of a baseball game Monday, April 15, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Kansas City Royals' Nick Loftin, right, slides by Chicago White Sox catcher Martín Maldonado to score on a single from Kyle Isbel during the fifth inning of a baseball game Monday, April 15, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Nick Nastrini throws against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, April 15, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino hits a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Kansas City Royals' Vinnie Pasquantino celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, April 15, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Three women were diagnosed with HIV after getting “vampire facial” procedures at an unlicensed New Mexico medical spa, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report last week, marking the first documented cases of people contracting the virus through cosmetic services using needles.

Federal health officials said in a new report that an investigation from 2018 through 2023 into the clinic in Albuquerque, VIP Spa, found it apparently reused disposable equipment intended for one-time use, transmitting HIV to clients through its services via contaminated blood.

Vampire facials, formally known as platelet-rich plasma microneedling facials, are cosmetic procedures intended to rejuvenate one’s skin, making it more youthful-looking and reducing acne scars and wrinkles, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

After a client's blood is drawn, a machine separates the blood into platelets and cells.

The plasma is then injected into the client's face, either through single-use disposable or multiuse sterile needles.

Vampire facials have gained popularity in recent years as celebrities such as Kim Kardashian have publicized receiving the procedure.

HIV transmission via unsterile injection is a known risk of beauty treatments and other services, officials say.

Despite this, the Academy says vampire facials are generally safe.

Health officials say spa facilities that offer cosmetic injection services should practice proper infection control and maintain client records to help prevent the transmission of bloodborne pathogens such as HIV.

The New Mexico Department of Health was notified during summer 2018 that a woman with no known HIV risk factors was diagnosed with an HIV infection after receiving the spa's vampire facial services that spring.

During the investigation, similar HIV strains were found among three women, all former clients of the spa. Evidence suggested that contamination from services at the spa resulted in the positive HIV infection tests for these three patients, according to the CDC report.

Another woman, who also received services at the spa, and her male sexual partner, who did not go to the spa, were both found to have a close HIV strain as well, but the HIV diagnoses for these two patients “were likely attributed to exposures before receipt of cosmetic injection services," the CDC said.

Evidence suggested that contamination from services at the spa resulted in the positive HIV infection tests for the other three patients.

Health officials found equipment containing blood on a kitchen counter, unlabeled tubes of blood and injectables in the refrigerator alongside food and unwrapped syringes not properly disposed of. The CDC report said that a steam sterilizer, known as an autoclave — which is necessary for cleaning equipment that is reused — was not found at the spa.

Through the New Mexico Department of Health's investigation, nearly 200 former clients of the spa, and their sexual partners, were tested for HIV, and no additional infections were found.

According to the CDC, free testing remains available for those who previously frequented the spa.

The former owner of VIP Spa, Maria de Lourdes Ramos de Ruiz, pleaded guilty in 2022 to five felony counts of practicing medicine without a license, including conducting the unlicensed vampire facials.

The New Mexico Attorney General's office said Ramos de Ruiz also did illegal plasma and Botox-injection procedures.

According to prosecutors, inspections by state health and regulation and licensing departments found the code violations, and the spa closed in fall 2018 after the investigation was launched.

Ramos de Ruiz was sentenced to 7 1/2 years, with four years being suspended on supervised probation, 3 1/2 years time in prison and parole, according to court documents.

Raul A. Lopez, attorney for Ramos de Ruiz, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate solutions reporter. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at ast.john@ap.org.

'Vampire facials' were linked to cases of HIV. Here's what to know about the beauty treatment

'Vampire facials' were linked to cases of HIV. Here's what to know about the beauty treatment

FILE - This electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health shows a human T cell, in blue, under attack by HIV, in yellow, the virus that causes AIDS. Three women who were diagnosed with HIV after getting “vampire facial” procedures at an unlicensed New Mexico medical spa are the first believed to have contracted the virus through a cosmetic procedure using needles, according to federal health officials. (Seth Pincus, Elizabeth Fischer, Austin Athman/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/NIH via AP, File)