MIAMI -- This is the Pablo López the Marlins are hoping to see in the final few weeks. The 23-year-old ramped up his fastball as high as 96.3 mph, and the average on his 42 four-seamers thrown was 94.2 mph.

The way the ball was coming out of his hand is an encouraging sign, considering Lopez missed two months due to a right shoulder strain. Even at the plate, Lopez crushed a double to left-center that had an exit velocity of 103 mph, according to Statcast.

Friday night’s overall outing is another reminder of why Lopez is considered a core part of the Marlins’ building process. But the night also had a nagging familiar theme that has prevailed all season. Run production has been tough, and behind Jorge Lopez’s five strikeouts in six innings, the Royals handed the Marlins a 3-0 loss in the series opener at Marlins Park.

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“I was good to see Pablo kind of get back on track,” manager Don Mattingly said. “I thought he was pretty good tonight.”

The result was Pablo Lopez’s third straight loss since rejoining the rotation on Aug. 26, after he had been out since June 15 with the shoulder issue, but he was pleased with the progress in this one.

“Today was definitely a step forward, in the right direction,” said Lopez, who opened the season as Miami’s No. 3 starter. “I had great defense behind me, also made things a lot easier, and gave me more confidence to pound the strike zone.”

If Lopez can finish the season on a high note, and enter the offseason healthy, it will provide the organization with some answers regarding the rotation heading into the offseason.

“Obviously, to be able to finish the season healthy is the No. 1 priority,” Lopez said. “But I want to end it on a more happier, positive note.”

Hunter Dozier hit a home run off Jeff Brigham in the eighth inning, capping the scoring for the Royals.

Lopez allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings.

“I felt in better rhythm on the mound,” Lopez said. “I was a little more synced up. I was able to keep the ball down when it was supposed to be down. And not making too many mistakes over the heart of the plate.”

The Marlins were blanked for the 21st time. Actually, the closest they came to scoring was on Lopez’s double off the wall in the fifth inning. Trailing by a run at the time, Lopez drove the ball into the gap, and Statcast projected the distance at 393 feet. But Bryan Holaday, who had a two-out single, was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first.

“I saw the ball leaving the bat, and once it got into the AutoNation [Alley], it has the white walls and I kind of lost it,” Lopez said of the multilayered fan deck behind the wall.

“Then, I just saw it on the ground. I was like, 'I have to keep running, and I made it to second.' “

However, the hit was unable to provide a run, because the Royals completed the relay and nabbed Holaday at the plate.

Lopez has now dropped each of his three starts since coming off the injured list on Aug. 26. In his first two starts, the right-hander had an 11.25 ERA in eight innings.

“I'm just trying to take advantage of every day,” Lopez said. “Every day I play catch is a day I can work, whether it's what I want my pitches to do, where I want them to move. The way I want to execute them.”

Against the Royals, he struck out six and scattered eight hits. He got some defensive help from right fielder Lewis Brinson in the sixth inning, when he doubled up speedy Whit Merrifield trying to advance to third on a fly ball.

“He looked good out there,” Mattingly said of Brinson, who has mostly played center in the big leagues. “It looked like the brakes were good. You could see he’s played out there.”