Breathe.
We know the Braves don’t need another injury to a starting pitcher – and it appears Reynaldo Lopez will be all right.
The right-hander was pulled from Tuesday’s start against the Cubs with back tightness after five innings. Manager Brian Snitker said Lopez will be “fine” and is not expected to miss his next start.
Whew.
“I told them I wanted to keep pitching but they’re more concerned about the long term,” Lopez said after the game.
Lopez made yet another strong start even though he didn’t get the win. He worked five innings and allowed just two hits as the Braves scored twice in the sixth inning en route to a 2-0 win.
The performance marked the third time, in seven starts, that Lopez has gone at least five innings without yielding a run. He has pitched at least five innings in every start.
Lopez (2-1) now has a 1.34 ERA, allowing just six earned runs in 40.1 innings pitched. He has struck out 40. Of the six earned runs he has allowed, three games in one game, the lost at the Mariners last month. Opponents are hitting just .196 against Lopez this season.
According to the Braves, since ERA became an official stat in both leagues in 1913, Lopez’s 1.34 ERA is the fourth-lowest by a Braves pitcher through his first seven starts. It trails only Dana Fillingim (1918, 0.29), Buzz Capra (1974, 1.17) and Hall-of-Famer Phil Niekro (1965-67, 1.27).
