The Pittsburgh Pirates will turn to their ace on Saturday when they attempt to snap a four-game losing streak.
Right-hander Mitch Keller (8-2, 3.41 ERA) is set to take the mound when the Pirates continue a three-game series against the host Milwaukee Brewers, who won the opener 5-4 on Friday.
Joey Wiemer homered and Blake Perkins drove in two runs for Milwaukee, which ended a six-game losing streak and moved into first place in the National League Central.
Keller has won five of his past seven starts. He retired the final 10 batters he faced in a 2-1 victory over the New York Mets on Sunday, when he allowed one run over seven innings.
After allowing a total of 15 runs in his previous three outings, Keller gave up just two hits and two walks while striking out seven against the Mets.
“He commanded the zone, went right after guys and executed all of his pitches,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “It was a nice bounce-back outing for Mitch.”
Keller, 27, owns a 4.10 ERA in seven road starts this season compared to a 2.78 mark in seven home outings.
Willy Adames is 4-for-12 with a home run against Keller, who is 0-2 with a 3.98 ERA in four career starts vs. Milwaukee.
Left-hander Wade Miley (3-2, 3.67 ERA) will make the start for the Brewers after missing the past month due to a left lat strain. The 36-year-old veteran pitched five scoreless innings in a rehab start for Double-A Biloxi on Sunday.
Miley last started for the Brewers on May 16, when he allowed one run over 1 2/3 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals before leaving due to the injury.
Andrew McCutchen is 4-for-22 (.182) against Miley, who is 5-5 with a 3.27 ERA in 15 career starts vs. Pittsburgh, including 1-1 with a 0.82 ERA in two outings last season.
The Pirates have gone 14-26 since opening the season with a 20-8 mark, but Shelton wasn’t pushing the panic button after the Friday loss.
“There’s a lot of baseball left to play,” the manager said.
Milwaukee closer Devin Williams stuck out Jason Delay with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning on Friday for his 11th save in 12 opportunities.
Williams blew a save chance for the first time this season on Tuesday and struggled again on Friday, when the Pirates got a walk and a double with one out in the ninth. He regrouped and struck out two of the final three batters for the save.
“It’s a long season,” Williams said. “I go out there and I’m expected to be locked in from the first pitch, and that doesn’t always happen. You’ve got to work through stuff sometimes.”
The Brewers are expected to activate outfielder Jesse Winker this weekend. Winker, who has been out since May 28 due to a neck injury, went 7-for-20 with three home runs during a rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville.
Winker is set to rejoin an outfield led by Christian Yelich, who is batting .361 (13-for-36) with five doubles, two homers and five RBIs over his past nine games.
–Field Level Media
