Luis Lopez #22

2003

Orioles' Opening Day starter experienced an up-and-down year, plagued by injury and inconsistency...After losing 3 straight starts in April, had only one 2-game winning and one 2-game losing streak the rest of the season...Missed 6 weeks with a strained left oblique muscle...Was 0-3 with a 7.31 ERA in 5 starts before the injury and 7-7 with a 5.43 ERA in 20 starts after returning from the disabled list..Pitched to a 1.94 ERA (51.0IP, 50H, 11ER) in his 7 wins...Had a 9.18 ERA (51.0IP, 71H, 52ER) in his 10 losses and a 6.31 ERA (45.2IP, 67H, 32ER) in his 9 no-decisions...After winning his first 5 decisions in 2002, began the season 0-3, going winless in his first six starts and 8 straight dating back to 2002...Missed 6 weeks after being placed on the DL on May 3 with a strained oblique muscle in his left side...Suffered the injury in the 2nd inning of his start on May 1 at Detroit...Made 3 rehab starts before being activated, with 2 starts in extended spring training games at the Orioles' minor league complex in Sarasota, FL and one at AA Bowie...Struck out 13 batters in 6.0 IP in his final rehab start with the Baysox on June 9 vs. Reading...Was activated on June 15 and started that day vs. Milwaukee, earning his first win of the season...Pitched 6.0 or more innings in 12 outings and allowed 3 earned runs or less 11 times...Allowed just 28 walks in his last 17 starts, 4 of them intentional passes...Six of his 7 wins came at Camden Yards...Went 1-6 on the road with an ERA (6.40) nearly one run higher than at home (5.49)...Lone road win came on August 23 at New York...Struck out a career-high 10 batters and earned his first career complete-game win as the Orioles defeated the Yankees, 7-2...Pitched his first career shutout on September 3 vs. Oakland in a 9-0 win...Had 2 complete games in his last 7 starts...Allowed a career-high 8 runs on 4 different occasions, twice vs. Boston (April 6 & September 8) and twice at Toronto (June 26 & July 27)...Allowed 6 or more runs a total of 7 times...Best stretch came in a 4-start span, July 1-July 17, when he allowed 5 runs and pitched to a 1.41 ERA while going 2-1...Pitched into the 7th inning in each start...Became the Orioles' 4th different Opening Day starter in the last 4 seasons, joining Scott Erickson (2002), Pat Hentgen (2001) and Mike Mussina (1998-2000)...At 27, was the O's youngest Opening Day starting pitcher since Mussina in 1996...Became the 7th native Mexican to start on Opening Day on March 31...One night earlier, the Texas Rangers' Ismael Valdes became the 6th pitcher to accomplish the feat...Pitched for Culiacan in Mexican Winter League after taking last winter off...Went 1-5 with a 4.69 ERA in 8 starts during regular season...Made 2 playoff starts, going 0-0 but pitching to a 2.45 ERA.