Pablo Lopez routinely has silenced the bats of the Kansas City Royals in six career outings.
The Minnesota Twins right-hander will try to tame the Royals once again on Tuesday night in the second contest of a four-game series in Kansas City.
Lopez is 5-1 with a 2.50 ERA and 0.91 WHIP against the Royals. He has struck out 45 and walked just four in 39 2/3 innings.
Last season, Lopez beat Kansas City in both starts and had a 2.08 ERA. He struck out 12 without walking a batter in 13 innings.
The 29-year-old will be looking for his second straight win this season.
Lopez (1-1, 2.25 ERA) delivered a strong outing last Wednesday when he defeated the Chicago White Sox. Lopez gave up one run and four hits over seven innings. He struck out five and walked one.
Making the effort more impressive is that the contest featured a rain delay of nearly 3 1/2 hours before play commenced.
“I was able to relax a little bit,” Lopez said. “I took a 15-minute nap, which I never do. I don’t nap at all.”
Lopez, a 2023 All-Star, looks to put Kansas City hitters asleep after the Twins fell 4-2 in Monday’s opener of the series.
The Royals had nine hits with three coming from No. 9 hitter Kyle Isbel. He had two RBIs, one coming on a homer in the sixth inning to give Kansas City a three-run lead.
“He did a good job of getting the ball in play and going the other way the first time,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Isbel. “The home run was big. He’s hit a couple of balls well. That was a big run for us to get to four.”
It marked the ninth time Isbel has had three or more hits in a game. His career high of four came against the Twins in 2023.
“I try to get on base and flip it over to the top of the lineup,” Isbel said. “Anyway I get on base to help them and help us win.”
Isbel is 4-for-11 with three doubles against Lopez. Salvador Perez is just 2-for-14 but has taken Lopez deep. Vinnie Pasquantino is hitless in 11 at-bats against him.
Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (0-0, 3.60) returns to the mound after striking out 10 in five innings against the Milwaukee Brewers in his last turn. He gave up one run, five hits and two walks in the Wednesday outing.
The 2024 All-Star has 13 strikeouts in 10 innings this season. Last season, he fanned 223 in 186 1/3 innings over 32 starts.
Ragans went 2-2 with a 1.88 ERA in four starts against Minnesota last season. Overall, he has a 1.93 ERA in five career starts against Minnesota.
Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa are each 3-for-6 against Ragans. Willi Castro and Ryan Jeffers are each hitless in nine at-bats versus the 27-year-old.
Correa and Buxton have opened the season in deep slumps.
Correa has just four hits in 36 at-bats (.111). The 30-year-old has one double and two RBIs.
Buxton, 31, is 7-for-37 (.189) with one homer and four RBIs.
Their struggles are part of the reason why the Twins have dropped seven of their first 10 games. It’s the franchise’s worst start since opening 1-9 — beginning with nine straight setbacks — in 2016.
“This clearly isn’t the start of the season that you dream about,” Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said after the latest loss. “That’s pretty obvious. We have to continue to dig in and fight and battle any way we can right now until things start to click.
“… Yes, it’s early, but we need to play better.”
