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.

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.

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.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: DH Willson Contreras was hit in the wrist by a pitch leading off the fourth inning. After being attended to by team trainers, he stayed in the game, but Matt Carpenter hit for him in the sixth.

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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