Mitch Keller Leads Pirates to Series Win Over Rays
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates had a disappointing loss in their previous game against the Tampa Bay Rays, but made sure they ended the series the best way they could.
The Pirates defeated the Rays 6-3, coming back from a slight deficit mid-way and getting the win later on, with right-handed starting pitcher Mitch Keller handling the road team on the mound.
Pittsburgh takes the series against Tampa Bay, as they won the opener 5-1 on April 17 and lost the second game, 8-7 in extra innings on April 18.
The Pirates improve to 13-9 on the season and 8-5 at PNC Park, finishing this homestand 4-3, as they split the four-game series with the Washington Nationals, April 13-16.
Mitch Keller Gets Back to His Best Self vs. Rays
The Pirates had just finished a 13 inning defeat to the Rays a night prior, for a game that last six hours and 40 minutes long, thanks to a rain delay that last two hours and 30 minutes.
Pittsburgh used six of their eight relief pitchers in the defeat, who threw nine innings, and need a big outing from their veteran right-handed starting pitcher in Keller.
Keller took on that challenge and threw seven innings vs. the Rays, allowing two earned runs and five hits, while posting five strikeouts.
He allowed a leadoff single to Rays left fielder Chandler Simpson, but catcher Joey Bart threw him out stealing in the top of the first inning.
Keller then retired the next 13 batters, before running into some issues in the fifth inning, giving up three straight hits, including a single to catcher Hunter Feduccia, which scored two runs and put hte Rays up 2-1.
He then retired seven of the next eight batters and kept the Pirates ahead after they got their offense going, and finished with his longest outing of the season.
Keller had a difficult showing his last time out, allowing five earned runs over four innings in the 5-4 loss to the Nationals on April 14, but this start is more of the norm of what he's done in 2026.
This is his fourth quality start in five outings and he has a 2.79 ERA, with a 1.10 WHIP.
Keller also moved up the Pirates all-time strikeout leaders list with his five strikeouts vs. the Rays, giving him 856 total, eclipsing Rick Rhoden (1979-86) for 10th place in franchise history.
He mostly went with his four-seam fastball, 42% of the time, but mixed in his five offspeed pitches for success against the Rays.
Pitch | Usage | Average Velocity |
|---|---|---|
Four-Seam Fastball | 35/78 (42%) | 93.3 mph |
Curveball | 12/78 (15%) | 77.8 mph |
Slider | 9/78 (12%) | 87.7 mph |
Sinker | 9/78 (12%) | 92.2 mph |
Sweeper | 8/78 (10%) | 82.0 mph |
Changeup | 5/78 (6%) | 87.8 mph |
The Pirates got another strong outing from right-handed relief pitcher Isaac Mattson, who threw a scoreless eighth inning. That is 12 staright scoreless outings for Mattson, who drops his season ERA down to 1.32.
Right-handed pitcher Wilber Dotel came in for his MLB debut in the top of the ninth inning and he did give up a solo home run to Rays third base Junior Caminero, but settled down and got the next three outs to secure the win.
Offense Comes Through to Support Keller
The Pirates got an early lead in the bottom of the first inning, as left fielder Jake Mangum ledoff with a double, second baseman Nick Yorke hit a single and then right fielder Bryan Reynolds hit a groundout that scored Mangum to make it 1-0.
Pittsburgh missed a few opportunities over the next few innings, but didn't do so in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Bart led off the inning with a double and first baseman Billy Cook laid down a bunt that moved Bart to third base and got to first base safely as well.
Cook stole second base and after Mangum hit into an inconsquential ground out, Gonzales hit a fly ball that landed just in front of Rays center fielder Cedric Mullins for a hit.
Bart would score to tie the game up at 2-2, Cook moved to third base and then Gonzales moved up to second base on the throw home.
Reynolds came through for the Pirates again, hitting a single past Rays shortstop Taylor Walls into left field and scoring both Cook and Gonzales, putting the home team up 4-2.
The Pirates added a couple more runs with some power, in solo home runs from pinch-hitter Spencer Horwitz in the bottom of the sixth inning and third baseman Nick Yorke in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Horwitz hit a changeup over the middle of the plate and sent it 104 mph off the bat and 383 feet into the right field seats for his second home run of 2026.
Yorke took a sinker on the top-inside part of the strike zone and hit it 106.6 mph off the bat and 394 feet into the left field bleachers for his first home run of the season.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.