Mitch Keller struck out ten batters and Oneil Cruz had two RBIs as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Milwaukee Brewers by a 4-2 score on Tuesday.
Despite the no-decision, Keller pitched well on the mound, striking out ten batters while walking two. He gave up two runs on four hits in his six innings of work. Manny Banuelos earned the victory, while Chase De Jong tallied his first save of the season.
As for Cruz, his assault on Brewers’ pitching this season continued on Tuesday. In the third inning, his single scored Tucupita Marcano to give the Bucs a 1-0 lead.
Kolten Wong’s two run homerun, his 11th of the season, gave the Brewers a 2-1 lead after four innings. Pittsburgh would tie the game in the top of the seventh on a solo homerun by Michael Chavis, his 14th of the season.
What turned out to be the game-winning run came in the eighth inning. With the bases loaded, Rodolfo Castro drew a walk, scoring Cruz to give the Bucs a 3-2 lead. Cruz’s RBI double in the ninth scored Chavis and provided the Pirates with insurance run that they would not need.
This was a nice victory for the Pirates, but more importantly, it was a great start by Keller. Despite the hiccup in the fourth inning, he pitched very well and showed the potential of being that top-tier pitcher the Pirates and fans hoped he could become when he was a prospect. He has made some positive strides this season, and hopefully those can continue here over the next month.
The Pirates and Brewers will meet up in the rubber match of their series on Wednesday afternoon. Zach Thompson will take the mound for Pittsburgh against Freddy Peralta for Milwaukee.
Record vs. Brewers: 8-10
Record vs. N.L. Central: 23-32
Record on the Road: 23-44
Overall Record: 49-80
And…
As Always…
Let’s Go Bucs!
