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.
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."
