CINCINNATI — There’s no guarantee that the Miami Marlins are going to trade Pablo Lopez between now and MLB’s trade deadline at 6 p.m. Aug. 2.
But with Miami at the very least listening to offers from possible suitors, any positive performance from the 26-year-old right-hander and No. 2 pitcher in the Marlins’ rotation bodes well for the organization.
And Lopez threw a gem on Tuesday in the Marlins’ 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. He tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts and held the Reds to just one run on two hits without issuing a walk.
Miami improved to 46-51 on the season. The Reds fell to 37-59.
Tuesday marked the fifth time this season that Lopez has pitched at least seven innings and held an opponent to no more than one run. It was also just the fourth time he did not issue a walk this season in 20 starts.
Lopez made it through his seven frames on 94 pitches. Reds hitters whiffed on 18 of their 43 swings against Lopez.
Of his 11 strikeouts, five came on his change-up, three on his four-seam fastball and three on his curveball.
After allowing a leadoff single to Jonathan India, Lopez retired 12 consecutive Reds hitters — including a stretch with five consecutive strikeouts — before Mike Moustakas hit a solo home run to lead off the fifth inning. Lopez ended his night by retiring the final nine batters after the home run, including striking out the side in the sixth.
On the season, Lopez has a 3.03 ERA and 118 strikeouts over 116 innings. The strikeout and innings pitched totals are both career highs, and his .205 batting average against is the lowest in his career.
This and that
— The Marlins scored their two runs on a Joey Wendle two-out single in the fifth after Jesus Sanchez hit a double and Luke Williams followed with a single and stolen base to put two runners in scoring position.
Miami had a slew of other opportunities to tack on runs but went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position outside of the hits by Williams and Wendle in the fifth.
— Anthony Bass pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Tanner Scott recorded his 13th save of the season with a scoreless ninth.
— Prior to the game, the Marlins placed first baseman/designated hitter Garrett Cooper on the 10-day injured list with a right wrist contusion and recalled first baseman Lewin Diaz. Diaz started at first base on Tuesday.
