Pablo López pitches 7 sparkling innings as the Twins beat the Cardinals 6-0

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Pablo López pitched seven innings, Trevor Larnach hit two homers and the Minnesota Twins beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-0 on Saturday night.

López (12-8) gave up four hits, struck out nine and walked one while extending his scoreless streak to 13 innings. He has pitched at least six innings in six of his last seven starts, posting a 2.25 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 44 innings over that span.

“He pitched great,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “His stuff today was probably the best that he’s had all year.”

St. Louis right-hander Sonny Gray (11-9) struck out seven in six innings, but allowed five runs and seven hits. It was his first appearance at Target Field since he spent the 2023 season with the Twins.

Gray had been scuffling over the past two months, posting a 5.68 ERA in nine starts since June 29. But early on, he looked like the pitcher who finished second in voting for the AL Cy Young Award last year.

In the first inning, Gray struck out the side on 10 pitches, and he cruised through an easy second. But the trouble started with one out in the third, when No. 9 hitter Austin Martin slapped an opposite-field double.

Willi Castro worked a full-count walk before Larnach lined a high, inside cutter into the seats in right for a three-run homer. Two more singles and an RBI fielder’s choice gave the Twins a 4-0 lead after three innings.

“The frustrating part for me is that it seems to be the same game over and over and over,” said Gray, who has lost his last three starts. “Put up some zeros and then have a big inning, give up two, three, four in one inning, and then throw the ball well after that.”

Larnach made it 5-0 in the fifth when he launched a solo shot to the base of the batter's eye in center field. Matt Wallner led off the eighth with a long home run to right-center.

Meanwhile, López pitched himself into and out of trouble in the second, when he stranded runners on second and third with strikeouts of Paul Goldschmidt and Pedro Pagés. The Cardinals threatened again in the fifth, but López struck out Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson to leave two more runners on base.

“López was definitely on his game,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “That’s a tough at-bat.”

The Cardinals also lost Willson Contreras when he had to leave the game after he was hit by a pitch. The team said Contreras had a broken middle finger on his right hand and was headed to the IL for the second time this season.

“I feel sorry for him because he puts in a ton of work,” Marmol said. “This is a guy that’s been so diligent with what he’s trying to do behind the plate, helping the pitchers, understanding the game plan and everything he’s doing, he’s taken huge steps in the right direction. So to see him go down right in the middle of this is frustrating.”

UP NEXT

RHP Erick Fedde (8-7, 3.39 ERA) will take the mound for the Cardinals on Sunday in the series finale. Fedde is 1-3 in his first four starts for St. Louis since arriving in a trade with the White Sox at the deadline. He’ll face rookie RHP Zebby Matthews (1-1, 3.60 ERA), making just his third major league start for the Twins.

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