Twins' Pablo López named to American League All-Star team

Turns out, the Twins' big offseason trade was a swap of All-Stars.

Pablo López, the starting pitcher acquired from the Marlins for Luis Arraez in January, was added to the American League All-Star team for Tuesday night's game in Seattle. The righthander replaces Toronto's Kevin Gausman, who withdrew in order to spend the four-day break with his family.

López joins Twins teammate Sonny Gray, chosen to the team last week, and Arraez, a two-time All-Star who was elected by fan voting as the National League's starting second baseman.

"It means a lot for me. I can't remember the last time I didn't watch an All-Star Game, starting when I was little," López said Saturday. "Back when I was growing up, I used to watch it telling myself 'I want to be there someday.' I watch it every single year."

The selection came as a surprise, López said. When Rocco Baldelli called him into his office Saturday morning, "I thought we were just going to discuss my All-Star break plan to make sure that [his throwing sessions were] staying on schedule," López said. "Which, in a way, we did. Just not the way I was expecting."

López's selection was announced on the Target Field scoreboard during the seventh-inning stretch of Saturday's game, as the righthander waved to the crowd from the dugout.

"I'm incredibly happy," he said. "Something like this comes with your routine, the way you go about your business."

López ranks second in the AL in both innings pitched (111) and strikeouts (138), third in most strikeouts per nine innings (11.189), and he's in the league's top 10 for fewest hits and walks allowed per nine. He's also one of 12 major league pitchers to throw a shutout this season.

Of course, as most Twins fans are acutely aware, Arraez leads the major leagues in batting average (.386), on-base percentage (.437) and hits (125).

López hasn't pitched since shutting out Kansas City on Wednesday, so he hopes he gets a chance to throw an inning Tuesday.

"I would really love to participate in the All-Star Game. Hopefully I get to pitch and face great players like Arraez," he said of his Venezuelan WCB teammate, whom he has never faced in the majors. "Then just really enjoy and cherish everything."

López's presence gives the Twins two pitchers among the AL All-Stars for the third time in the last seven seasons. Brandon Kintzler and Ervin Santana represented the Twins in Miami in 2017, and Jake Odorizzi and José Berríos were in Cleveland in 2019, though Odorizzi withdrew from the roster after going on the injured list with a blister on his middle finger.

Gray, too, hopes to pitch in Tuesday's game. He already knows what it's like to suit up and not pitch.

"I hung out in the dugout [in Cincinnati in 2015], the first time," Gray said of his selection while a member of the Athletics. He had pitched two days earlier, so he wasn't considered available for that game.

Four years later, representing the Reds in Cleveland, "I was available to pitch. I was in the bullpen," Gray said. "I just didn't pitch."

The six runs Gray gave up Saturday tied the most he has given up in his two seasons with the Twins. His other six-run outing came last July 14 — like Saturday, his final start before the All-Star break.

The outing also ended the Twins' streak of seven consecutive quality starts from their rotation, the team's longest streak since a 10-start stretch from July 9-20, 2011, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Simeon Woods Richardson struck out seven over five innings of work, Anthony Prato hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning and the Saints beat host Iowa 5-2. Chris Williams also homered, and Austin Martin drove in his first run at Class AAA with a third-inning double.