Lopez spins gem for LumberKings

Pablo Lopez didn't begin his season until the last weekend of May, but the Seattle right-hander has made up for lost time in a big way in his first Midwest League go-around.

Lopez (4-0) turned in his finest performance of the season, allowing one hit over seven innings as Class A Clinton edged visiting Burlington, 1-0, on Tuesday night at Ashford University Field. 

The 20-year-old tied his season high with six strikeouts and walked two. He's surrendered two runs or fewer in all seven of his starts this year and has pitched seven shutout innings in two of his last three appearances.

"I've been locating well, that's the main thing," Lopez said. "I don't try to throw harder like a lot of guys do. I try and locate as much as I can. I stay with my strengths and just go with what I have. You have to trust yourself and when you do that and trust your teammates, everything works out well." 

Everything worked fine for the Venezuela native against Burlington. He allowed a leadoff double to No. 18 Angels prospect Jared Foster in the second inning, but fanned the next three hitters. Lopez worked around a two-out walk in the third and retired 13 of the last 14 batters he faced. He issued a second free pass in the fifth and capped his outing with a strikeout on his 84th pitch of the night to give him a 1.64 ERA in 44 innings this season.

"Everything was working," Lopez said. "I was trusting my teammates to make the plays and trusting my catcher [Arturo Nieto] to call the right pitches at the right moment. Our defense was awesome and it really gave me a lot of confidence. 

"The coaches have encouraged all of us to attack the hitters and pound the zone. It's been huge for all of the pitchers. The confidence in our catchers and defense, being fearless and winning the one-on-one battles."

A control artist who has walked just 23 batters in 148 career innings, Lopez missed the entire 2014 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in November 2013. But he bounced back with a strong campaign last year in the Rookie-level Arizona League when he went 2-1 with a 3.13 ERA in 12 appearances, including three starts. He began this year in extended spring training before he was added to Clinton's roster on May 28.

"The main thing for me this year is staying healthy," Lopez said. "Staying healthy and being able to play baseball with my teammates is the biggest thing I'm looking for out of myself this year." 

Logan Taylor's fifth home run of the season off Burlington reliever Tyler Watson in the seventh proved to be the difference. Joe Pistorese earned his first save of the year with three strikeouts over two perfect innings for Clinton, which has won five straight overall and 11 of 13 since the All-Star break.

Bees starter Jose Rodriguez traded zeros with Lopez through five innings. He surrendered three hits and a walk with six strikeouts. Watson (2-3) was charged with one run on a hit and a walk in two frames.