Prolonged struggles for Keller: 'Just got to be better'
Mitch Keller struggled to get through four innings here tonight, finishing with a third straight outing in which he pitched fewer than five innings and gave up five-plus runs on seven-plus hits in the Pirates' 8-6 loss to the Dodgers at PNC Park.
Mistakes piled up on Keller and he never found a way to stop the bleeding, as he gave up five runs on seven hits while hitting two batters and tying his season high with four walks in a four-inning performance. Keller threw 98 pitches and the Dodgers had 42 swings against him. He generated just four whiffs in the loss.
"Just didn't execute," Keller said afterwards. "Against a good team like this, you've got to execute, throw strikes and limit the free passes. I didn't do that tonight. That's the end result."
Keller said he wasn't trying to be too fine with his pitches. He focused on being aggressive and filling up the zone but he kept missing. The lack of execution seems to have been a trend for Keller over a six-start stretch that has raised his season ERA from 2.87 after his first eight starts to 5.14 after 14 starts. In that span, he's had five outings in which he's allowed four or more runs. He's allowed seven or more hits in four of those starts and has issued three-plus walks on three occasions.
"Walking people's not helping me," Keller said. "Just got to be better. Got to fill it up more, attack the hitters and just execute when I've got them at two strikes."
THE ASYLUM
Prolonged struggles for Keller: 'Just got to be better'
Mitch Keller struggled to get through four innings here tonight, finishing with a third straight outing in which he pitched fewer than five innings and gave up five-plus runs on seven-plus hits in the Pirates' 8-6 loss to the Dodgers at PNC Park.
Mistakes piled up on Keller and he never found a way to stop the bleeding, as he gave up five runs on seven hits while hitting two batters and tying his season high with four walks in a four-inning performance. Keller threw 98 pitches and the Dodgers had 42 swings against him. He generated just four whiffs in the loss.
"Just didn't execute," Keller said afterwards. "Against a good team like this, you've got to execute, throw strikes and limit the free passes. I didn't do that tonight. That's the end result."
Keller said he wasn't trying to be too fine with his pitches. He focused on being aggressive and filling up the zone but he kept missing. The lack of execution seems to have been a trend for Keller over a six-start stretch that has raised his season ERA from 2.87 after his first eight starts to 5.14 after 14 starts. In that span, he's had five outings in which he's allowed four or more runs. He's allowed seven or more hits in four of those starts and has issued three-plus walks on three occasions.
"Walking people's not helping me," Keller said. "Just got to be better. Got to fill it up more, attack the hitters and just execute when I've got them at two strikes."
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