Lopez started Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Houston Astros on the 9th and led Minnesota to a 6-2 victory with seven innings of six hits, one walk and seven strikeouts. 토토 Minnesota, which lost 4-6 in the first game, fought back thanks to Lopez’s good pitching, balanced one win and one loss, and returned to its home where the third and fourth games were held.
Lopez, who also blocked the Toronto Blue Jays in five ⅔ innings with five hits, two walks, one walk and three strikeouts and one run in Game 1 of the wild card series on the 4th, became a winning pitcher in both postseason games until this day. 1 run and 0.71 ERA in 2 ⅔ innings.
The Houston slugger was also lethargic before Lopez. He used up to 97 miles 156.1 kilometers, average 95.9 miles 154.3 kilometers, four-seam fastballs, changeups , sinkers, sweeper and curves. The left-handed batter opponent change-up and the right-handed batter opponent sweeper were powerful. He also actively used the high fastball as a decisive ball, showing off his strong pitching power.
MLB.com also wrote a note about each Houston batter while watching Minnesota’s first-round defeat in the dugout. I tried to gather as much information as I could when I wasn’t pitching, he said. Lopez grew up as the son of two doctors in a house full of anatomical books. At the age of 16, I skipped school, graduated from high school, and passed the medical school my parents attended, he said.
Lopez, a right-hander from Venezuela, was born into a family of highly educated doctors. My father was a generalist, my mother a pathologist. According to MLB on May 10, Lopez recalled, When I offered to sign a contract with the Seattle Mariners in July 2012, I passed my parents’ college, adding, It was difficult to decide at the age of 16. My dream was to work at night at a hospital with my father, but baseball changed my life course.
Lopez fell in love with baseball, as did young children in Venezuela, where baseball is popular. Minnesota left-hander ace Johan Santana, a two-time AL Cy Young Award winner from Venezuela in 2004 and 2006, was Lopez’s idol. All Venezuelan children grew up to be Santana fans. I remember seeing him in the Twins uniform when I was young, he said, reflecting on his memories.
Lopez was so smart that he mastered four languages: Spanish, English, Portuguese, and Italian. He graduated from high school at the age of 16 by skipping the school year, and scored 19.8 out of 20 points, passed the medical school his parents attended, and was able to walk the path of a doctor. But then Seattle offered Lopez a contract, and Lopez decided to play baseball after consulting with his mentor father.
Lopez’s father, who was an amateur baseball player, left the choice to his son, saying, It’s 100% your decision, but the rest of the family didn’t understand at first. My maternal grandmother, who has a strong academic tendency, strongly opposed it. Lopez, who recalled, I remember my grandmother wasn’t very happy when I said I would play baseball, stood tall as a successful major leaguer, although his mother and father died three years ago.
Lopez, who grew up as a prospect in the minor leagues after signing with Seattle, was traded to the Miami Marlins in July 2017 and achieved his big league debut dream in 2018. He continued to grow and won his first 10 wins last year. In January this year, he came to Minnesota after being traded for Luis Arraez, last year’s AL batting champion. Idol Santana wore the uniform of a team that had its heyday, and signed a four-year, $73.5 million about 99.5 billion won extension contract in mid-April. In 32 games 194 innings, he had a career-high season with 11 wins and 8 losses and a 3.66 ERA, 234 strikeouts, leading Minnesota to the AL Central title.
Lopez, who came to work in Santana’s Minnesota uniform in Game 1 of the wild card series, continues to be powerful in fall baseball. After coming to Minnesota, his four-seam fastball speed 93.5 miles → 94.9 miles accelerated, and he became an A-class pitcher with a new sweeper. Minnesota shortstop Carlos Correa said after the victory, I saw a true ace. With today’s game, Lopez is clearly one of the best pitchers in the league. He must have been under a lot of pressure on the biggest stage, but he pitched well against the slugging line. It was the most impressive game I’ve ever seen. Gerrit Cole New York Yankees, who did not give hitters a chance during his time in Houston in 2019, came to mind. You did a great job, he said.
On this day, Lopez became the second pitcher in Minnesota history to win seven scoreless innings in the postseason. It is the first time in 19 years since Santana in the first round of the 2004 ALDS. Lopez said I’m really honored to be on the list that includes Santana’s name. I’m happy, he said. I watched the first game myself, and I watched it again on my iPad when I got back to my accommodation. It was to understand how hitters responded. I tried to pitch as unpredictable as possible. He stressed the importance of the analysis by saying, You have to do that against a hard line like Houston.