Let’s get the stipulations out of the way.
Yes, it’s spring training. Yes, it was only a four-inning appearance more than two weeks before the regular season begins.
But if Pablo Lopez has to state his case for why he should be in the Miami Marlins’ starting rotation, look no further than the performance he put on display Saturday night against the Washington Nationals.
All the 23-year-old did was throw four perfect innings — 12 batters up, 12 batters down — against a Nationals lineup that had seven of their projected starting position players.
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The final tally:
u25aa Zero hits.