López retired 21 of the 23 Cincinnati batters he faced, striking out nearly half of them.
If this was really the end of Pablo López in a Miami Marlins uniform, at least he went out with a gem.
López, who has been the subject of some trade rumors with the deadline approaching on Aug. 2, gave up one run in seven innings in Tuesday’s victory over the Cincinnati Reds. His 11 strikeouts tied his career high (May 13, 2022 vs. Milwaukee). It was only his second career game with double-digit strikeouts.
The Marlins (46-51) have been a disappointment this year. After going 5-8 in recent games against soft teams like the Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, Texas Rangers, and Philadelphia (who are decent but historically struggle against Miami) the Marlins cemented their fate as sellers.
There are plenty of players—both Marlins vets and newcomers—that fans have soured on. But Pablo López has consistently been a fan favorite for both his on-field skill, as well as his off-field personality and positivity.
Perhaps his greatest Marlins moment so far came during the shortened 2020 season. After nearly 20 Marlins players came down with COVID-19 during their opening series, Lopez was one of the only Opening Day starters available when the Marlins were finally allowed to resume playing again. Surrounded by minor leaguers, journeymen, and Monte Harrison, López threw five scoreless innings to beat the Baltimore Orioles in one of Miami’s most improbable victories in franchise history. The game came less than a month after López suddenly lost his father to a heart attack.
It’s not certain if López will be traded or not, but this was a hell of a goodbye if he does get shipped off.
In 2022, Pablo has already set new single-season career highs with 116.0 IP, 118 K and 7 wins. On pace for a career-best 3.03 ERA too.
He should be incredibly attractive to other teams…and incredibly hard for the Marlins to replace internally.
— Fish Stripes (@fishstripes) July 27, 2022
As for the offense, the lone runs were scored on a Joey Wendle single to left field that scored Jesús Sánchez and Luke Williams. Wendle went 3-for-5 to raise his season batting average to an even .300.
Anthony Bass and Tanner Scott shut the door on the Reds, each tossing a scoreless frame. It was Scott’s first save since July 10 and the first Marlins victory at Great American Ball Park since 2018.
Don Mattingly’s Postgame Press Conference
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Baseball Savant
The Marlins play the third game of this four-game series Wednesday at 6:40 p.m. Braxton Garrett will take the mound against Luis Castillo.
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