31 August 2024
It was around 11 months ago when Pablo López and Kevin Gausman tangled the last time at Target Field.
Twins fans likely remember that game fondly: López outpitched Gausman, who allowed two home runs to Royce Lewis, in a 3-1 Twins victory that snapped an 18-game playoff losing streak.
There was much less on the line when the Twins and Blue Jays met this time around, but the pitching matchup suggested a pitcher’s duel could be in order and that’s exactly what the fans at Target Field got.
Gausman was good. López was better.
The Twins’ top starter turned in his third straight scoreless performance with 7 2/3 shutout frames on Friday in the Twins’ 2-0 win over the Blue Jays on Friday night at Target Field.
Minnesota, whose rotation has been depleted by injury, have desperately needed López to step up and be their ace. He’s done so in the second half of the season.
He was particularly sharp on Friday, not allowing a baserunner until the fifth inning and collecting groundballs as he cruised through inning after inning. López began the eighth inning and after getting the first two outs, he allowed a single to Nathan Lukes, prompting Rocco Baldelli to emerge from the dugout.
The Twins had both Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran warming in the bullpen, but Baldelli, after a quick chat, opted to leave López in.
A softly-hit ball to Royce Lewis at third went for an infield-hit, ending López’s night, but Jax helped keep the shutout intact, needing just three pitches to strikeout Daulton Varsho.
That preserved the two-run lead that the Twins had been protecting since the fifth inning when they finally broke through against Gausman. Jose Miranda led off the inning with a double and came home to score when Carlos Santana singled to right. Santana himself would score the second run of the game on a Willi Castro sacrifice fly.
Minnesota had just four hits in the game but came through to snap a four-game losing streak. When Santana singled home Miranda, it was the Twins’ first lead since the first inning on Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals.
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