Keller regains control in 8-2 victory vs. Cubs
Pirates snap skid, erupt for seven runs in second
Mitch Keller will have better starts. Longer ones, too. In more meaningful games, the Pirates hope. But at this point in his young career, it’s doubtful Keller has had a more emotional or fulfilling outing than what he experienced Saturday.
After a rough spring and plenty of doubts cast regarding his potential and future in the starting rotation, Keller took a sizable step in the right direction in the Pirates’ 8-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs, earning his first-ever win at PNC Park.
The 25-year-old worked five
innings and allowed an earned run on five hits with a walk and seven strikeouts. After walking the first batter of the game and allowing a run-scoring double to third baseman Kris Bryant, Keller offered a reminder of why so many people in the organization believe in him.
One of those people is obviously manager Derek Shelton, who shared an emotional embrace with Keller in the Pirates dugout after informing the right-hander hewas done for the night.
“Had a rough spring, a rough first outing. It felt really good to have a good one out there,” Keller said.
The past couple months haven’t been easy for Keller, who had an 11.91 ERA — worst on the team — in five Grapefruit League starts. Fastball command has been an issue. The lack of it contributed to 25 hits and 18 earned runs allowed in 14⅓ combined innings, with 12 walks and just 15 strikeouts in his previous six starts.
Mistakes also contributed to fourhome runs allowed.
With the volume turned up high, Keller remained calm. It was not a mental issue, he insisted after his first start of the season. He and pitching coach Oscar Marin were working on a few things, and Keller was confident they’d soon click.
Physically, Keller said it wasn’t “anything alarming.” The biggest change was between his ears.
“Just got to put a lot of work in and get confidence through little things like my throwing program and bullpens, whatever it may be to find that confidence and have it translate into the game,” Keller said. “I was super confident out there [Saturday].”
Keller’s start was actually a little shaky, as he walked Ian Happ on five pitches. His fastball command was wobbly, too. But then Keller began attacking the zone. He got ahead of hitters, used all of his pitches and even sprinkled in five change ups.
A pivotal at-bat for Keller came in the second inning with a runner in scoring position. Keller felt behind 3-0 to David Bote but battled back with a pair of sliders and got a groundout to get to the pitcher’s spot with two outs. He struck out Zach Davies to escape trouble.
“[Saturday] was a positive sign, but that at-bat really was apositive sign,” Shelton said.
In all, Keller generated 14 whiffs while using his fourseam fastball to complete five of his seven strikeouts. It was the type of start the Pirates – now 2-6 after snapping a six games kid–have been looking for out of Keller.
The Pirates scored seven runs in a second inning where all kinds of good things happened. Colin Moran led off with an eight-pitch walk.Jacob Stallings, who has hit balls hard but right at guys, found a hole and delivered a two-run single.
Adam Frazier scored one with his double. That gave the Pirates a 3-1 lead before Bryan Reynolds drove a sinker to the opposite field. The ball onehopped the wall near the
North Side Notch for a ground-rule double, scoring twomore.
Moran drove in the final two runs of the inning, pulling an outside changeup to right field.
“We talked the other day about not being as aggressive as we’d liked,” Shelton said. “I thought wed ida nice job staying aggressive .”
Spotted a six-run lead, the best thing a pitcher can do is throw strikes, and that’s exactly Keller did in the third, recording three quick outs on 12 pitches.
Phillip Evans homered in the sixth inning, clobbering his third of the season in just 23at-bats. He’s hitting .364.
“He’s taking really good swings, ”Shelton said.
Even though the Pirates scored more runs than they had in their previous three games combined, what they got out of Keller was easily the most encouraging development.
“It felt really good just kinda letting it all out there, filling it up as much as I could, ”Keller said.