PITTSBURGH – Mitch Keller’s 2023 and 2024 seasons, while successes overall, followed a very similar, and flawed, pattern. He pitched like an All-Star in the first half of the season (getting the nod in 2023) but then struggled over the final months of the season, inflating his ERA into the fours.
This season seemed to be following a similar path after Keller had a rough five-game stretch from July 28 to Aug. 19 where he allowed 21 runs over 20 innings. He may be bucking that late-season swoon trend, though. He turned in a quality start against the Cardinals two outings ago, followed by five innings without an earned run his last turn against the Red Sox.
Saturday at PNC Park also had an early-season Keller feel to it. He pounded the strike zone, spun sweepers and fired in four-seamers en route to 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball, his lone blemish being a 3-0 fastball that Jake Bauers turned on for a home run. Unfortunately for Keller, the entire game had an early-season feel for him, as he took another tough-luck loss in a 4-1 defeat to the Brewers.
In the end, it was a second straight outing where Keller’s strong outing was decided by a homer. It was an inside-the-parker in Boston, and Saturday’s was a get-me-over fastball that just cleared the fence. Two tough-luck homers for two tough-luck losses.
“Overall, it stinks,” Keller said, “but when you look at the little things and the things within the game -- how I’m feeling, what I’m doing, what I’m trying to execute -- when you go and analyze stuff like that, there’s a lot of positives to come from it. That one negative can definitely kill an outing, for sure.”
There was a lot of good from the outing, too. His velocity held steady and was up a bit compared to his season averages. He executed when needed to keep it a close ballgame.
And as the Pirates prepare for this final stretch before the season wraps, inning limits and pitcher workloads are going to be a recurring theme. A quality start is always a good thing, but it’s even more valuable late in the year.
"It was huge, honestly,” manager Don Kelly said. “For him to get into the seventh inning and go 6 1/3, with where the bullpen is at right now -- talking about the length of the season -- it was a huge start from a length perspective. I thought he threw the ball great."
During his pregame media availability, Kelly alluded to mechanical tweaks Keller had made before that start against the Cardinals that has helped spark this nice three-game stretch. Postgame, Keller referred to dry work he and pitching coach Oscar Marin have done lately that has helped him.
“I’ve done a lot of medicine ball stuff, just trying to get some good feel in my mechanics again, trying to make sure I’m using my legs and using the power that I have,” Keller said. “I’ve been feeling really good about it the last three starts. Keep that going.”
That could result in a better finish than he’s had the last few years. Finishing the year strong has been on his mind ever since he rolled into Spring Training -- to give six strong months. He has a couple more outings to accomplish that goal.
“It’s not over yet,” Keller said. “I’ve got a few more left. There was a stretch of two or three there that stunk. Trying to finish as strong as I’ve started the past few years. I’ve just got to keep going.”