Tuesday was not Mitch Keller's best start of the season. In fact, going by his judgement, it wasn't even that good.
"I think we got lucky -- not we, me -- I kind of got a little bit lucky getting out of some of that stuff I put myself in," Keller said. "Just looking back, not really happy with the outing. Just kind of all over the place, nothing really crisp, nothing clean."
There were times in 2021 where Keller would say something similar after a start. The difference was in 2021, it would have likely been in an ugly loss. On Tuesday, he was still able to go five innings with only one run allowed, setting the Pirates up nicely for a 4-1 win over the Reds at PNC Park.
Back in Bradenton, Fla. during spring training, Keller told me this was his "now or never" year. He had plenty of potential but some of the worst major-league results of any pitcher his first couple years in the majors. This year got off to a rocky start, to the point that he was briefly demoted into the bullpen.
In fact, let's revisit a graphic the Youtube broadcast team posted on that May 18 game against the Cubs where he first pitched out of the bullpen:
Starting on that game May 18, Keller has recorded a 3.19 ERA over 121 1/3 innings. He has had multiple stretches in that time where he went at least six innings in five or more consecutive starts. He's still striking out hitters at a solid clip, fanning 107 during that stretch.
And when he realizes on a cold September night that he doesn't have his best stuff, he can go to his catcher, Jason Delay, and make adjustments.
"We had a conversation, me and Delay, in the dugout that was just, 'the four-seam feels better,' " Keller said. "I think prior to that I would have just kept throwing the same pitches over and over trying to figure it out rather than [think], 'ok, that one's not working as much. Let's limit the usage on that and let's go with what feels best.' So I think just growing in that part of the game has helped a lot too."
Keller leaned on that fastball over his sinker for most of the night, but when the game was on the line in the third and fifth with the bases loaded and two outs, he went to the slider to retire Aristides Aquino twice, once swinging and once on a fly out to right.
Mitch Keller, 84mph Wipeout Slider. 🌊 pic.twitter.com/Lrt0CW4MiG
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 27, 2022
Keller wasn't satisfied with the feel he had with those pitches, but rather than force sinkers and curveballs, he was still able to navigate the lineup.
"Just shows that he is maturing and he’s still able to battle when he doesn’t have his best stuff," Derek Shelton said.
"I think in the past if I only had the four-seam and I didn't have that, who the hell knows where this game would be," Keller said. "Who knows? But just having two pitches, two fastballs, to rely on is huge for me."
This has been a year of development and progress for Keller, starting with him adding more velocity at Tread Athletics this winter to adding a sinker midseason and learning how to use a five-pitch mix. We have seen him do some of the best pitching of his career in the second half of this season, and for the first time since perhaps he was a rookie, he will be penciled into next year's rotation not just based on potential, but because of tangible results. The results that come from delivering good starts not just occasionally, but consistently over a span of months.
Even if he doesn't have his best stuff.
"Wins definitely make outings like that a lot better," Keller said with a smile.
MORE FROM THE GAME
• It wasn't just Keller that wiggled out of some jams Tuesday. There were plenty of missed opportunities in this one.
The Pirates left nine men on base and went just 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, but the one hit was a big one. After being robbed of a potential bases loaded double by third baseman Kyle Farmer in the fifth inning, newcomer Migúel Andújar launched a belt-high Buck Farmer fastball off the door to the bullpen in center for a bases clearing double.
Yeah, a 400 foot double. That's PNC Park for you.
"Off the bat, I thought it was clearly out," Shelton said. "He hit it about as flush as you could hit it. I think you see cold nights in this ballpark and left field. I don’t know how much better you can get it because he looked like he got every bit of it."
"The guys say, 'Welcome to the Pirates,' " Andújar joked.
It's been an incredibly small sample size -- just two games -- but Andújar has contributed as the Pirates' designated hitter twice, picking up a hit and an RBI Monday night. For someone looking for a fresh start after being buried on the Yankees depth chart, it's a pretty good first impression.
"It's a good feeling for me," Andújar said. "We have a good group of guys here with a lot of talent, too. For me, it's super exciting to be here with this team."
• Another solid outing for what had been a struggling bullpen of late. after two scoreless frames from Wil Crowe and a 1-2-3 eighth by Duane Underwood Jr., David Bednar picked up his first save since July 23, striking out a pair in a spotless inning.
The plan was to use Bednar in more lower-leverage situations in his first outings since returning from the injured list to ease him back into game situations, but with the sequence of pitchers used and the save opportunity at hand, it was the perfect set-up to go back to the All-Star closer.
"Really encouraging," Shelton said of Bednar's outing. "Stuff played. I thought the ball came out of his hand well. He’s just getting back to moving down the mound the way we saw him before the injury which is extremely encouraging."
• JT Brubaker will throw another live batting practice in St. Louis this weekend, which will determine if he will be able to make one more start this season.
• The Pirates are 9-16 in the month of September and 6-0 against the Reds this month.
• With the win, the Pirates are now 58-97 on the season. They need to go at least 5-2 down the stretch in order to avoid a second straight 100-loss season. They trail the Reds by two games for fourth place in the division.
THE ESSENTIALS
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE INJURIES
• 7-day concussion list: C Tyler Heineman
• 15-day injured list: RHP JT Brubaker (right arm inflammation), LHP Eric Stout (low back discomfort)
• 60-day injured list: Yerry De Los Santos (lat), OF Canaan Smith-Njigba (wrist), RHP Colin Holderman (right shoulder), RHP Blake Cederlind (elbow), RHP Max Kranick (elbow), C Roberto Pérez (hamstring)
THE LINEUPS
Shelton's card:
1. Oneil Cruz, SS
2. Bryan Reynolds, CF
3. Rodolfo Castro, 3B
4. Jack Suwinski, LF
5. Miguel Andújar, DH
6. Cal Mitchell, RF
7. Zack Collins,1B
8. Jason Delay, C
9. Ji Hwan Bae, 2B
And for David Bell's Reds:
1. TJ Friedl, LF
2. Jonathan India, 2B
3. Kyle Farmer, 3B
4. Jake Fraley, DH
5. Spencer Steer, 1B
6. Aristides Aquino, RF
7. Michael Siani, CF
8. Jose Barrero, SS
9. Austin Romine, C
THE SCHEDULE
Can the Pirates complete another sweep of the Redlegs? Bryse Wilson (3-9, 5.95) will take on Luis Cessa (4-4, 4.78) for the getaway game, with first pitch coming at 12:35 p.m. You guys are stuck with me the rest of the way.
THE CONTENT
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