DETROIT – Pablo López matched a season-high with 10 strikeouts, gave up almost no hard contact and issued only one walk across six innings against the Tigers.
Twins lose to Tigers 3-2 after Detroit dinks and dunks its way to big inning vs. Pablo López
The Twins hit a pair of home runs, but that wasn't enough run support after the Tigers' three-run second inning.
June 25, 2023 at 1:16PM
Most days, that would be a cause for celebration.
Saturday at Comerica Park was not one of those days. Not when López was saddled with a 3-2 loss, hurt by dinks and bloops while the Twins' offense was horrendous when they put runners on base.
The Twins, who have scored two or fewer runs in six of López's eight road starts this season, were hitless with seven strikeouts in their first 11 at-bats when they had a runner on base. One of the exceptions was an inning-ending double play from Byron Buxton, who later left the game with back spasms.
Willi Castro, who pinch hit for Buxton in the eighth inning, ended the hitless skid when he lined a two-out single into right field with a runner on first base. An error loaded the bases for Royce Lewis, who struck out in a six-pitch at-bat where Tigers closer Alex Lange didn't throw him any fastballs.
"We didn't muster very much," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "We were kind of scrapping and doing whatever, trying to score a run and we couldn't do it. That can be frustrating."
All the damage against López came in the second inning. López wasn't blameless, issuing a one-out walk to Miguel Cabrera with a runner on first base after he was ahead in a 1-2 count. Following Cabrera's free pass, one run scored on a ground ball that bounced past second baseman Edouard Julien. Then Zach McKinstry drove in two runs with a jam-shot blooper into center field in an 0-2 count.
"It's one of those that definitely frustrates me a little and gets under my skin a little bit," said López, most disappointed with his walk, "but as a pitcher, as a baseball player, you have to make peace with there are so many things you can't control."
López compiled a double-digit strikeout total for the fourth time in his career, but he failed to capitalize on advantageous counts in the second inning. Baldelli lamented a ground ball that didn't turn into a double play before Cabrera's walk. Julien bobbled the ball before his throw to first base.
"We have to take responsibility for not making the play behind him," Baldelli said. "Are there ways to get around it? Of course. But the game just went by and we have to do more to win the ballgame. It's not just going to happen on its own. I think we could have done more."
It was one of those starts that encapsulated López's first season with the Twins. There are stretches when he looks like the staff's ace, ranking third in the majors with 120 strikeouts, but he owns a 5.40 ERA in 12 starts since signing his four-year contract extension.
"I'm sure he'll agree with me when I say he pitched a good game," catcher Ryan Jeffers said of López, who retired 14 of the final 16 batters he faced. "Was he as sharp as he would have liked to be? Probably not. Overall, what, three balls were hit hard, if that?"
Twins hitters had no answers for Reese Olson's slider, a high-spin pitch that was difficult to read out of his hand. They had their leadoff batter reach base in the third inning and fifth inning. Both times Olson responded by striking out the next three batters, freezing some hitters with his fastball.
Carlos Correa ended the shutout when he powered a 425-foot solo homer — the one way to create runs when the Twins weren't hitting with runners on base — over the Twins bullpen in center field in the sixth inning. Joey Gallo added a solo homer in the seventh.
Jeffers drew a one-out walk in the ninth inning, but Lange struck out the final two batters to earn his 12th save of the season.
The speculation surrounding shortstop Carlos Correa’s availability in a trade was overblown this week, Twins officials indicated at the winter meetings in Dallas.
