Lopez (15-10) took the loss Friday as the Twins were downed 7-2 by the Orioles, giving up two runs on six hits and three walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out eight.
The right-hander pitched well, tossing 69 of 111 pitches for strikes in a must-win game for Minnesota, but Lopez served up a two-run homer to Ryan O'Hearn in the second inning, and his offense and bullpen couldn't rise to the occasion. Lopez did what he could to bolster the Twins' postseason hopes down the stretch, posting a 2.93 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 56:13 K:BB in 61.1 innings after the calendar turned to August, but to no avail. The 28-year-old will head into 2025 as one of the foundational pieces for the team's rotation, on a contract that still has three years and $64.5 million left on it.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Twins-Red Sox postponed
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Lopez and the Twins won't face the Red Sox on Saturday, as the game was postponed due to inclement weather, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Saturday's game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Sunday, and Lopez will get the ball to start Game 1, per Helfand. The 28-year-old righty has made a start against the Red Sox once already this season in May, during which he gave up one earned run over six innings while striking out eight batters and collecting a win.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Quality start streak at seven
Rotowire
Lopez came away with a no-decision in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Guardians, giving up two runs on eight hits and two walks over 6.1 innings. He struck out four.
The right-hander got staked to a 3-0 lead in the third inning and left the mound with the Twins still ahead, but Griffin Jax melted down in the eighth to deny Lopez his 16th win of the year. The quality start was Lopez's 18th of the season and seventh straight, a stretch in which he's posted a 1.35 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 43:8 K:BB through 46.2 innings. He lines up for his next outing this weekend in Boston as Minnesota tries to hang onto a wild-card spot in the American League.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Picks up win No. 15
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Lopez (15-8) earned the win Tuesday against the Angels, allowing four unearned runs on eight hits and one walk over seven innings. He struck out 10.
The Minnesota righty picked up his sixth consecutive quality start -- and 17th of the season -- with this dazzling 105-pitch performance. Although he generated only 13 whiffs on the evening, Lopez managed to post his third double-digit strikeout game of the season, marking his first since punching out 14 at Oakland on June 23. After pitching to an unsightly 5.11 ERA across 104 innings in the first half, the 28-year-old has returned to ace form since the All-Star break, firing a 1.92 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 62:12: K:BB over 65.1 innings. He lines up to make his next start against the division-leading Guardians on the road next week.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Streak ends but gets 14th win
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Lopez (14-8) earned the win Thursday against the Rays, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk over 6.2 innings. He struck out nine.
Lopez's streak of three straight outings without allowing a run ended Thursday against the Rays, but he still managed to pick up his 14th win, which is tied for the third most in the American League. Lopez's scoreless innings streak ended at 23.1, which is the longest single-season streak by a Twins pitcher since Tyler Duffey in 2019. The 28-year-old has eight quality starts over his last 10 appearances and has a 2.27 ERA in that span.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Extends scoreless streak Friday
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Lopez (13-8) picked up the win Friday, allowing six hits over 7.2 scoreless innings in a 2-0 victory over the Blue Jays. He struck out three without walking a batter.
The right-hander extended his scoreless streak to 20.2 innings with another gem. Lopez has reeled off four straight quality starts, giving him 15 on the season, and since the All-Star break he's delivered a 1.92 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 43:10 K:BB over 51.2 innings. He'll look to give the Twins' playoff hopes another boost in his next outing, which lines up to come on the road next week in Tampa Bay.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Dominant in 12th win
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Lopez (12-8) allowed four hits and a walk while striking out nine over seven shutout innings to earn the win over the Cardinals on Saturday.
Lopez posted his second scoreless outing in a row, and this time he got enough run support to come away with the win. He has six quality starts in seven outings since the All-Star break, posting a 2.25 ERA over 44 innings in that span. Lopez's strong second half has trimmed his ERA from 5.11 to 4.26, and he's added a 1.14 WHIP and 161:33 K:BB through 148 innings across 26 starts overall. The right-hander's next start is projected to be at home versus the Blue Jays.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Secures 11th victory
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Lopez (11-8) earned the win Monday against the Royals, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and no walks over six innings. He struck out five.
The Minnesota righty picked up his 12th quality start of the season with this 96-pitch effort. He looked to be in for a rough outing after allowing a solo homer -- his 22nd given up this season -- to Bobby Witt in the opening frame. However, Lopez settled in and generated a solid 15 whiffs en route to his fifth career win against Kansas City. The 28-year-old has been dependable since the All-Star break, going 3-1 with a 3.19 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 28:6 K:BB over 31 innings. He is currently slated to face the Rangers on the road for his next start this weekend.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Yields four runs in loss
Rotowire
Lopez (10-8) allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out two over five innings to take the loss Tuesday versus the Cubs.
Isaac Paredes did all the damage against Lopez, tagging him for a three-run home run in the first inning and an RBI single in the third. This was the first time in five starts Lopez allowed more than two runs, and the two strikeouts matched his season low. The right-hander's ERA is at 4.74 with a 1.16 WHIP and 144:29 K:BB over 129 innings across 23 starts this season. Lopez is projected to make his next start at home versus the Royals.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Secures win No. 10
Rotowire
Lopez (10-7) picked up the win Wednesday in an 8-3 victory over the Mets, giving up two runs on three hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out seven.
The right-hander delivered his 11th quality start of the season on 103 pitches (66 strikes), and his only real mistake on the afternoon got driven down the right-field line by Mark Vientos in the second inning for a two-run homer. Lopez has allowed two runs or less in six of his last seven starts, posting a 2.86 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 55:10 K:BB through 44 innings over that stretch. He'll look to keep rolling in his next outing, which lines up to come on the road early next week against the Cubs.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Picks up ninth win
Rotowire
Lopez (9-7) earned the win over the Tigers on Friday, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk over seven innings while striking out seven.
Lopez gave up a two-run homer to Javier Baez, but outside of that, he mowed through the Tigers lineup and tossed at least seven innings while allowing two runs or fewer for the second straight outing. The veteran righty is heating up with four quality starts in his last six trips to the mound, and he's seen his ERA drop from 5.63 to 4.73 over that stretch.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Sharp in no-decision
Rotowire
Lopez allowed a run on four hits and a walk while striking out seven over seven innings in a no-decision versus the Brewers on Saturday.
Lopez limited the damage to an RBI single by Jackson Chourio in the third inning, but the Twins didn't get on the board until the eighth. This was Lopez's third quality start in his last five outings. Minnesota's ace has had a few too many duds this year, giving him a 4.86 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 128:24 K:BB through 111 innings over 20 starts. He's projected to make his next start at Detroit.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Better in no-decision
Rotowire
Lopez allowed two runs on four hits and a walk over five innings in a no-decision Wednesday against the White Sox. He struck out five.
While he failed to earn the win, it was a much better outing from Lopez after he allowed six runs on eight hits over five innings in his last start against the Astros. Overall, it's been an inconsistent year so far for Lopez, who'll carry a disappointing 5.11 ERA into the All-Star break. However, a 1.18 WHIP, 121:23 K:BB and an xERA of 3.38 indicate that Lopez could be due for some positive regression in the second half.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Shelled for six runs in loss
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Lopez (8-7) took the loss Friday against Houston, allowing six runs on eight hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out six.
Despite not allowing a homer, the Minnesota right-hander managed to yield six or more runs for the fourth time this season. Lopez generated a paltry eight whiffs out of his 91 pitches as Houston was dialed in on his arsenal. The 28-year-old now sports a disappointing 5.18 ERA across 99 innings on the season. He'll look to bounce back in his next start, tentatively scheduled to be versus the White Sox in Chicago.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Fans nine in win
Rotowire
Lopez (8-6) earned the win over the Mariners on Saturday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk over six innings while striking out nine.
Lopez stumbled a bit over the first three frames, allowing a walk and four hits, including a solo home run off the bat of Mitch Haniger. However, the right-hander recovered nicely after the early hiccups, fanning six of the nine batters he faced over his final three innings of work as Minnesota took a 5-1 lead. Lopez induced 18 swinging strikes on the night and now has 25 strikeouts over his last 14 innings on the mound. He's also won his last three decisions (spanning four starts) and has logged a quality start in back-to-back outings.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Throws eight shutout innings
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Lopez (7-6) allowed two hits and one walk while striking out 14 over eight shutout innings to earn the win Sunday over the Athletics.
Lopez retired the first 17 batters he faced before Lawrence Butler's sixth-inning single. This was Lopez's first scoreless outing of the season as well as his longest start, and the 14 strikeouts were a season high. He'd given up 14 runs over 13 innings across his first three starts in June. Even with this gem, Lopez has a 5.11 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 101:19 K:BB through 88 innings across 16 starts this year. Considering he's posted a career-worst 1.6 HR/9, it's likely a fair amount of his struggles have come from bad luck with the long ball, as the rest of his underlying numbers are in line with his usual level of performance. Lopez is lined up to make his next start at Seattle.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Hit hard by Rays
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Lopez didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against Tampa Bay, allowing five runs on seven hits and a walk across four innings. He struck out three.
Four of the five runs attributed to Lopez came via the long ball, with Randy Arozarena launching a three-run homer in the first inning and Brandon Lowe notching a solo home run in the fifth, marking Lopez's seventh consecutive start allowing a round-tripper. The 28-year-old has allowed five or more runs in four of his last six appearances, owning an 8.94 ERA during that stretch and ballooning his ERA to a career-worst 5.63 overall. He's lined up for a road start against the Athletics on Sunday.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Struggles with control in loss
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Lopez (5-6) took the loss against the Yankees on Thursday, allowing seven runs on four hits and six walks while striking out four batters over four innings.
Lopez threw just 54 of 96 pitches for strikes and issued a season-high six walks -- more than he had handed out over his previous seven starts combined. Three of the free passes came to consecutive batters leading off the third frame, and all three of the recipients came around to score. The wildness was probably an aberration for Lopez considering his overall track record, but even when he's finding the strike zone, he's been struggling to get batters out. Over his past four starts, Lopez has allowed 21 earned runs over 20.2 innings, pushing his season ERA to a disappointing 5.45.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Returns to form in win
Rotowire
Lopez (5-5) earned the win in Friday's 6-1 victory over Houston, allowing one run on six hits and one walk over seven innings. He struck out nine.
Lopez appeared to be in the form that led him to a seventh place finish in the 2023 AL Cy Young race. The Minnesota right-hander generated an impressive 17 whiffs en route to his six punchouts while lowering his season ERA to 4.84 in 67 innings. The lone blemish on his evening was the 348-foot solo shot Alex Bregman hit into Houston's Crawford Boxes in the fourth inning. Lopez faces a difficult test in his next start -- he's lined up to face a formidable Yankees lineup in New York next week.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Shelled in loss
Rotowire
Lopez (4-3) took the loss Monday against Washington, allowing seven runs on eight hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out five.
Lopez was done in by the long ball, yielding two homers in a game for the second time this season. The Minnesota right-hander entered 2024 with a career 1.1 HR/9 and now sports a 1.5 HR/9 in 55.1 innings this season. Lopez's ERA sits at 4.72, almost a full tick higher than his career 3.86 mark entering the season. He is tentatively scheduled to make his next start against Texas at home this weekend.
