Pirates' Mitch Keller: Allows five earned runs in loss
Rotowire
Keller (9-5) took the loss against the Cardinals on Tuesday, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits and no walks over five innings. He struck out five.
Keller was burned by the long ball, surrendering a two-run home run in the second inning and a grand slam in the fourth. After completing at least six frames in eight consecutive starts from May 6 to June 19, the righty has now failed to do so in his past two outings. The 28-year-old will bring a solid 3.48 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 96:27 K:BB over 103.1 innings into a projected home matchup with the Mets this weekend.
Pirates' Mitch Keller: Fades late in Tuesday's win
Rotowire
Keller (9-4) picked up the win in Tuesday's 9-5 victory over the Reds, giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks over 5.2 innings. He struck out six.
An Oneil Cruz error and a hit by pitch helped load the bases in the third inning, but Keller escaped the jam by striking out Jeimer Candelario and Spencer Steer. The right-hander seemed to run out of gas after that, eventually getting tagged for three runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth as he fell short of his 10th quality start of the season. Keller has still allowed more than three earned runs only once in nine outings since the beginning of May, going 7-1 over that stretch with a 1.85 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 52:12 K:BB through 58.1 innings. He'll look for win No. 10 on the year in his next trip to the mound, which lines up to come at home next week against the Cardinals.
Keller allowed two hits and two walks over seven scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Reds on Wednesday. He struck out seven.
Keller was locked in Wednesday, holding Cincinnati hitless until the fifth inning, ultimately turning in his second scoreless outing in his last three starts. However, Keller wouldn't factor into the decision, as the Pirates couldn't get on the board until Bryan Reynolds homered in the eighth, providing the lone run in a 1-0 victory. Keller's been excellent since the start of May, pitching to a 1.53 ERA over his last eight outings. Overall, the right-hander's 8-4 with a 3.11 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 85:24 K:BB across 15 starts (92.2 innings) this season. Keller will look to keep rolling in his next start, currently scheduled as a rematch with Cincinnati on the road.
