KANSAS CITY, Mo. — — Pablo Lopez admitted to feeling some anxiety when the Twins ace stepped on the mound to face the Royals on opening day.
It didn’t calm him down any when Maikel Garcia homered off him three pitches later.
The All-Star right-hander eventually managed to get his nerves under control, holding Kansas City to just three more hits without a walk while breezing through seven innings Thursday in a 4-1 Twins win over the Royals.
Cole Ragans (0-1) set a Royals record for opening day with nine strikeouts in just six innings. But the 26-year-old left-hander, who arrived in a midseason trade with Texas last year, also allowed two runs on five hits and three walks.