One Reason Mitch Keller Had Better Performance for Pirates; What Needs to Continue
· Yahoo Sports
PITTSBURGH — The good feelings from Mitch Keller’s strong start to the season for the Pirates quickly evaporated with a rough patch that ballooned his ERA to over by a point and a half.
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Over a three-start stretch from May 30 to June 11, Keller had allowed 18 earned runs in 12.2 innings. His ERA climbed from a respectable 3.64 to 5.14 entering last week’s start against the Athletics.
That one was better for Keller, who struck out a season-high seven batters in 5.1 innings. He allowed four hits and five runs, but only one was earned due to poor defense behind him.
In Tuesday night’s 3-2 loss to the Mariners, Keller backed that better outing with his first quality start in a month.
“Yeah, definitely a lot of positives from the way it’s been going,” Keller said after the game. “Just a couple pitches I would want back, obviously. Good team, a couple guys made a good couple of swings. Just not enough.”
Keller went six-plus innings, allowed three runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out four. All three runs came on home runs. Cal Raleigh, last year’s home run leader, hit his first since April 27 with a fourth-inning solo shot.
The Pirates starter kept Seattle in check through six innings, but was again stung by the long ball in the seventh inning.
After allowing a leadoff double to Luke Raley, Pittsburgh-native Cole Young hit the decisive two-run home run to right field on Keller’s second pitch of the at-bat after the right-hander missed with his first offering.
“We called sweeper, and I went 1-0, so I was just trying to get back ahead or just get an even count there,” Keller explained. “Tried to throw a strike with it. (Young) made a really good swing.”
After the home run, Keller walked Victor Robles, and manager Don Kelly turned to the bullpen. Despite the two home runs, the Pirates manager was pleased with how Tuesday’s starter performed.
“I thought he threw the ball really well,” said Kelly. “The two home runs that he gave up, outside of that, I thought he pitched really effectively, threw strikes. It seemed like all of his pitches were working pretty well.”
While the home runs are something Keller wants to avoid, a positive development from Tuesday’s outing is that he was much more consistent in the strike zone. The veteran had issued 11 walks in 14 innings through his first three June starts but didn’t issue a free pass until the final hitter he faced on Tuesday.
“Filling it up and getting right after them,” he said. “Just pitching how I know how to pitch.”
That might be the biggest key of all for Keller, whose 3.4 walks per nine innings entering Tuesday’s start was his highest mark since 2022.
When Keller is at his best, he’s throwing strikes and inducing soft contact. While Seattle hit some balls hard against him, it’s no surprise to see that better control led to better results.
Keller will try to continue that as the season goes on.
“I think just the mentality of filling it up, getting strike one, strike two,” he said on his mindset moving forward. “Just being on the aggression.”
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