Twins' Pablo Lopez: Struggles with control in loss

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.