BALTIMORE -- Earlier this season, it didn't take long to notice the difference between a José Quintana start and ... just about any other starter on the roster.
Quintana would often find a way to wiggle out of trouble, limiting the damage. If anyone is going to make a living as a starter, learning that art is mandatory. But, it takes time. Few figure it out quickly.
Mitch Keller might have learned a thing or two watching Quintana go about his business. The Pirates' right-hander has progressed quite nicely throughout the season, extending his streak of consecutive quality starts to five games against Baltimore Friday night, though the offense failed to pick him up in a 1-0 loss.
The only run of the game came against Keller with one out in the sixth and runners on the corners. It was a tough pill to swallow because it was a chopper that went over the head of Ke'Bryan Hayes and just out of reach of a sliding Oneil Cruz, scoring the runner from third base.
"That's baseball," Keller said. "That’s just kind of what it boils down to, who can make the plays and who doesn’t. It just happened that the ball bounced their way a little bit there."
The one run was his only blemish in six innings of work, despite having to face constant traffic on the bases. Some of that is self-inflicted as Keller allowed eight hits, walked one and didn't have one inning without allowing a baserunner. He also had to pitch with runners in scoring position in five of his six innings.
When Derek Shelton was asked what worked for Keller and how he's progressed to this point, his answer was pretty straight forward.
"We're seeing him now with the ability to execute pitches," Shelton said. "He did a good job of it tonight. There was a lot of traffic. He wasn't as sharp as we've seen him. But, he was able to navigate through it."
Alarm bells went off in my head when Shelton said "execute pitches." But, not in a bad way. It was actually the opposite. When Quintana was still a member of the Pirates, I asked Shelton what Quintana does in leverage situations that allows him to dance out of danger, and "executes pitches" was part of the answer.
Now, that's a generic term. In more detail, it means Quintana knew how to attack the strike zone without leaving the ball in the middle of the plate. It's easier said than done when your heart rate is increased and you're pitching in the major leagues. It's something every pitcher must learn to do. Keller displayed that poise Friday night, and it was needed with Dean Kremer and the Orioles' bullpen keeping the Pirates off the board.
"Pitchers’ duels are always fun," Keller said. "Just keeps you more locked in. Just gotta throw up a zero the next time. It is what it is."
Throwing up zeroes has become a recent trend for Keller. Over his past five starts, Keller has a 1.74 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 22 strikeouts and six walks in 31 innings. His stretch of good pitching goes a bit further back than that. Keller's ERA through the end of May was 5.77. Over the past two-plus months, he has lowered it to a 4.21.
Talking with him after Friday's game, he didn't look or sound like a guy that is riding the best stretch of his big-league career.
"I’m just looking forward to a day where I have all my best stuff," Keller said. "Be happy to see what I can do with that because the past few ones, I haven’t had my best stuff, and we’ve managed to go scoreless or one or two, three. Just looking forward to the day where I can have my best stuff and string it together."
It's good to see he's pitching well when he doesn't have his best stuff, and both he and Shelton pointed out he wasn't the sharpest Friday night. But, good pitchers learn how to do exactly what Keller did in this game: find a way to get the job done.
But, if this is Keller without his best stuff, what are we in store to see when he actually has it?
MORE FROM THE GAME
• This one got off to a very late start. What started out as a beautiful day quickly turned dark with multiple storms in the area that ended up delaying the game one hour, 49 minutes. With a postgame concert scheduled for Saturday and Pittsburgh traveling to Arizona after Sunday's game, it's good the two teams were able to play this game Friday.
• Shelton was ejected in the eighth inning for barking at the umpires when Brett Phillips tried to check his swing and offered at a pitch, but was not called that way by Chris Conroy at second base.
Yes, you read that right. Carlos Torres, originally scheduled to be the third base umpire for the game, was removed shortly after the game began due to a non-COVID-19 illness. The three-man crew worked the remainder of the game, and appeals on left-handed hitters -- normally called by the third base umpire -- were decided by Conroy at second base.
The Pirates were in a tight spot when Shelton was ejected. They were trailing, 1-0, but were trying to keep it that way as the Orioles had the bases loaded with two outs in the inning. Every ball and strike matters, especially in high-leverage situations:
What really had Shelton so heated in that moment was a call that went against his hitter earlier in the game. Cruz tried to hold back his swing, and it was a very close call that could have used an umpire with a better view down the line:
"I don't understand the rule with the three-umpire crew," Shelton said. "I know it's very challenging, but I don't understand how we can go to a guy in the middle of the field for that call. I don't think that's right. I think when you have a three-umpire crew, it should be the home plate umpire's call."
• The lineup couldn't get anything going in this one. All six Pirate hits were spread out, and the team went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
"Kremer did a nice job," Shelton said. "[Cionel] Perez did a nice job when he came in and (Felix Bautista) at the end's got a big arm.
• There were still a few good at-bats sprinkled throughout the game. Kevin Newman and Bligh Madris worked long counts that resulted in a pair of single in the second inning -- the only multi-hit inning of the night for Pittsburgh. Hayes also worked a long, nine-pitch at-bat against Bautista in the ninth inning, earning a walk.
• Madris looked pretty good at first base. He caught a sinking liner tailing away from him to take a hit away from Rougned Odor, and made an athletic play to catch a high throw from Cruz that forced Madris to leave his feet, but he came down and applied the tag on the runner at first base in time for the out.
"I'm just trying to get comfortable over there," Madris said. "Just challenging myself on the work, and it’s paying off. But, I need to stay on top of it every single day and keep doing what I’m doing."
• Prior to Friday's game, the Pirates claimed catcher José Godoy from the Twins and designated Taylor Davis for assignment. Godoy was active for the game, serving as Jason Delay's backup. The Pirates also released Yoshi Tsutsugo only two days after designating him for assignment.
The Yoshi era of Pirates baseball has officially come to an end.
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
• Live file
• Standings
• Statistics
• Schedule
• Scoreboard
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE INJURIES
• 10-day injured list: C Tyler Heineman (right groin strain), OF Jake Marisnick (great toe)
• 15-day injured list: RHP David Bednar (low back), LHP Dillon Peters (left elbow inflammation)
• 60-day injured list: OF Canaan Njigba-Smith (wrist), RHP Blake Cederlind (UCL), RHP Nick Mears (elbow), RHP Max Kranick (elbow), C Roberto Pérez (hamstring)
THE LINEUPS
Shelton's card:
1. Tucupita Marcano, LF
2. Bryan Reynolds, CF
3. Ben Gamel, DH
4. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
5. Oneil Cruz, SS
6. Kevin Newman, 2B
7. Bligh Madris, 1B
8. Cal Mitchell, RF
9. Jason Delay, C
And for Brandon Hyde's Orioles:
1. Cedric Mullins, CF
2. Adley Rutschman, C
3. Anthony Santander, RF
4. Ryan Mountcastle, 1B
5. Terrin Vavra, DH
6. Ramón Urías, 3B
7. Rougned Odor, 2B
8. Jorge Mateo, SS
9. Brett Phillips, LF
THE SCHEDULE
Same two teams tomorrow, first pitch at 5:05 p.m. JT Brubaker (2-9, 4.40) is set to face off against righty Austin Voth (1-1, 5.54). I'll have you covered once again.
THE CONTENT
Visit our team page for everything.