PIRATES

Mitch Keller will be the first one to admit that he wasn't at his best early in the Pirates' 4-2 win over the Diamondbacks here today at Chase Field. 

"The first couple innings were pretty sporadic," said Keller, who frequently fell behind hitters and saw a one-run lead turn into a 2-1 deficit after three hits, including a first-inning RBI single by Adrian Del Castillo and a solo homer by Corbin Carroll in the third. "I just didn't have it." 

Joey Bart, Keller's batterymate, noticed that something was off with his command, so he decided to "challenge him a little bit" in between innings. 

"I told him, ‘Let’s go. Let’s do better,’ in a nice way," Bart said with a smile and a laugh. "That relationship I’ve built with him over time, I kind of understand how to go at him. I expect a lot out of him. He knows that. We expect a ton out of him, and he always gives us a chance. I try to encourage him a little bit, push him a little bit. It worked, so it’s good." 

Keller, who ultimately threw six innings of two-run ball to help the Pirate secure a series victory, gave plenty of credit to Bart for his words of wisdom. 

"He was pumping me up, getting me going and locking me back in," Keller said. "Honestly, that’s kinda what I needed. I needed that. Just the positivity he was bringing in between innings, it allowed me to just go out there and have some quick innings." 

After those first three innings, a span in which he delivered first-pitch strikes to just five of the 13 batters he faced, Keller began to attack more and get out of innings rather quickly. At one point, after the homer by Carroll, the Pirates' most experienced starter retired 10 straight batters before giving up a seventh-inning single to Ildemaro Vargas that ended his night. He also got ahead of hitters more, throwing first-pitch strikes to eight of the last 10 batters he faced. 

"He got into rhythm," Don Kelly said. "That was a gutsy outing, the way that he went after it. Early on, it was falling behind and able to still make pitches when he needed to. And then it looked like he got in a little rhythm there in the middle of the game. But he did a great job." 

With today's showing, Keller has now thrown five-plus innings and allowed three or fewer runs in seven of his eight starts. He's come through with outings of that kind in each of his last four starts after grinding his way through the Diamondbacks order en route to surrendering four hits and two walks while striking out four in a sixth quality start of the season.