Lopez will start Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series for the Twins, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
It comes as no surprise since it's the way the pitchers have been lined up, but it will be Lopez in the first game and Sonny Gray in Game 2 against a yet-to-be-determined opponent. Lopez is certainly deserving of the honor, as he finished the regular season with a 3.66 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 234:48 K:BB over 194 innings in his first year in Minnesota.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Takes no-decision Wednesday
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Lopez allowed three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out six batters over 4.1 innings in a no-decision against Oakland on Wednesday.
Lopez was handed an early two-run lead before giving up his first run in the third frame. The right-hander responded with a scoreless fourth but was lifted after giving up consecutive one-out hits in the fifth. Both of those runners came around to score after Lopez's departure, resulting his his mediocre final line. On a positive note, Lopez stuck out six batters to end up with 234 on the campaign, the most by a Twins pitcher since Johan Santana struck out 235 in 2007. Assuming this was his final regular-season appearance, Lopez complemented the punchout total with a 3.66 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over 194 frames covering 32 starts. HIs next trip to the mound should come in the AL Wild Card round, which begins next Tuesday.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Picks up 11th win
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Lopez (11-8) yielded three runs on five hits and a walk over six innings Friday, striking out seven and earning a win over the Angels.
Lopez looked strong through four scoreless frames before Jared Walsh tagged him for a two-run homer as part of the Angels' three-run fifth inning. After allowing just eight runs during a seven-start stretch, Lopez has coughed up eight runs in his last two outings, raising his season ERA to 3.61. Still, he owns an impressive 2.51 ERA and 68:11 K:BB since the start of August. Lopez is currently in line for a home matchup with the Athletics next week to close out his regular season.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Fans eight in Saturday's loss
Rotowire
Lopez (10-8) took the loss Saturday, giving up five runs on eight hits over five innings as the Twins fell 7-6 to the White Sox. He struck out eight without walking a batter.
The right-hander nearly got chased early, serving up a two-run homer to Eloy Jimenez and a three-run shot to Gavin Sheets in the first inning, but Lopez survived the frame and settled down after that, although Minnesota was never able to erase the deficit. it's the second time in his last five starts he's been tagged for at least five runs including multiple home runs, but those outings account for five of the six long balls and 10 of the 14 earned runs he's allowed since the beginning of August -- a stretch in which he's posted a 2.29 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 61:10 K:BB through 55 innings. Lopez will look to get back on track in his next start, which is likely to come at home next weekend against the Angels.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Mows down Mets
Rotowire
Lopez allowed two hits over eight shutout frames in Sunday's loss to the Mets. He struck out 14 and did not factor in the decision.
Lopez was as dominant as ever Sunday, allowing just four baserunners (two hit batters) across eight innings. He set new season bests with 14 punchouts and 25 swinging strikes while throwing 73 of 106 pitches for strikes. The Mets scored two runs in the ninth inning to win 2-0 as Lopez settled for a no-decision despite the impressive outing. Since the start of August, he's gone 5-1 with a stellar 1.62 ERA and 53:10 K:BB through eight starts. Lopez's next outing is lined up to be on the road against the White Sox.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Cruises to victory
Rotowire
Lopez struck out three and improved to 10-7 on the season in Monday's 20-6 win over the Guardians after giving up one earned run on eight hits and three walks over six innings.
It wasn't Lopez's cleanest outing but he limited the damage to just one run in the third inning while Minnesota's offense hung 20 runs on the Guardians. After three straight scoreless starts, he's given up nine runs on 26 hits over his last 17 innings. Still, over his last nine appearances, Lopez has produced a 2.33 ERA across 54 frames. His next start is lined up to be at home against the Mets.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Toughs out quality start in loss
Rotowire
Lopez (9-7) took the loss Tuesday, allowing three runs on eight hits and three walks over six innings against the Guardians. He struck out five.
Lopez allowed a run in each of the second, third and fourth innings, though he managed to avoid further damage and battled through six innings for his sixth quality start in his last seven outings. Still, the 27-year-old Lopez would take his first loss since July 20. He now sports a 3.72 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP and 196:43 K:BB across 27 starts (164.2 innings) this season. Lopez currently lines up for a rematch with the Guardians on the road in his next start.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Struggles in no-decision
Rotowire
Lopez allowed five runs on 10 hits and one walk while striking out four batters over five innings in a no-decision against Texas on Thursday.
Lopez entered the contest in the midst of one of the most effective stretches of his career, tossing three straight scoreless appearances during which he posted a 0.95 WHIP and 22:3 K:BB over 19 innings. He saw the scoreless streak come to an end quickly Thursday when Marcus Semien tagged him for a homer leading off the game. That was one of three long balls Lopez served up in the contest, and he exited after five frames having yielded five runs and a season-high 10 hits. The mediocre outing is understandable given that Lopez was facing the league's second-highest scoring team, and he still holds an excellent 2.14 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 46:7 K:BB over 42 innings across his past seven starts.
Lopez (9-6) earned the win Friday, allowing six hits and two walks over six scoreless innings against the Pirates. He struck out seven.
The right-hander threw 99 pitches to earn his ninth win of the season. Lopez has now won all four of his August starts and has gone at least six innings in each, allowing only one earned run with a 27:3 K:BB in 25 innings. He'll look to continue his run of dominance in what is projected to be a much tougher test next week at home against the Rangers.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Blanks Phils for eighth win
Rotowire
Lopez (8-6) picked up the win in Saturday's 8-1 victory over the Phillies, allowing four hits and a walk over six scoreless innings. He struck out seven.
The former Marlin has re-discovered his brilliant early-season form in August, winning all three of his starts so far this month and shutting out the opposition over 13 frames in the last two. Lopez has actually reeled off four straight quality starts including his final trip to the mound in July, posting an ace-like 1.04 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 28:2 K:BB through 26 innings over that stretch. He'll look to keep rolling in his next outing, likely to come at home next weekend against the Pirates.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Tosses seven-inning gem Monday
Rotowire
Lopez (7-6) earned the win Monday, allowing five hits without walking a batter over seven scoreless innings in a 9-3 win over the Tigers. He struck out eight.
Lopez scattered five singles and didn't allow any baserunners to reach third base. The Minnesota bats did the rest, scoring nine to help Lopez earn his seventh win of the season. This marks the 27-year-old righty's third consecutive quality start, during which he has allowed just three runs on 15 hits with a 21:1 K:BB ratio across 20 innings over that stretch. He's currently expected to make his next start in Philadelphia this weekend.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Sharp in sixth win
Rotowire
Lopez (6-6) picked up the win in Tuesday's 3-2 victory over the Cardinals, allowing one run on four hits over six innings. He struck out five without walking a batter.
The right-hander delivered his second straight quality start and 13th of the season, blanking St. Louis through five frames and allowing only one baserunner before giving up three singles in the sixth. Lopez has a 3.22 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 55:10 K:BB through 44.2 innings over his last seven outings, and he'll look to extend his quality start streak when he next takes the mound, which is likely to come at home this weekend against Arizona.
Lopez did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk over seven innings in a 9-7 loss to Seattle. He struck out eight.
Lopez turned in yet another strong start, allowing two or fewer runs for the fourth time in his last five appearances. However, Lopez gave up a solo home run to Cade Marlowe in the fifth inning, marking his fourth long ball allowed in his last three starts. The right-hander has been an excellent source of strikeouts in 2023, having tallied 160 strikeouts through 128.2 innings while punching out seven or more batters in seven of his last eight appearances. He's tentatively scheduled to take on the Cardinals at Busch Stadium for his next start.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Punches out seven in loss
Rotowire
Lopez (5-6) took the loss Thursday, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks over five innings against the Mariners. He struck out seven.
Lopez pitched well Thursday, but the Twins couldn't muster any run support off George Kirby in a 5-0 loss. It was certainly a step in the right direction for Lopez after he was tagged for seven runs against Oakland in his prior start. The 27-year-old right-hander now sports a 4.22 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP and 152:35 K:BB across 20 starts (121.2 innings) this season. Lopez is currently lined up for a home rematch with the Mariners in his next outing.
Lopez did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing seven runs on eight hits and three walks over 5.2 innings against Oakland. He struck out seven.
After logging a complete game shutout in his last start, Lopez turned in his worst outing of 2023. He set a season high in runs allowed while also tying his season high in the hits column. In six starts leading up to the All-Star break, Lopez posted a 2.72 ERA and 52:9 K:BB over 39.2 innings, and he will look to reclaim that form in his next start, which is expected to come during a four-game road series against the Mariners next week.
