Mitch Keller pitched eight scoreless innings Friday as the Pittsburgh Pirates downed the visiting Chicago Cubs 2-1.
Keller (11-8) held the Cubs to four hits with six strikeouts and one walk while throwing 93 pitches. This came on the heels of Keller striking out 12 over six innings in a win over the Minnesota Twins in his previous start last Saturday.
David Bednar gave up a ninth-inning homer to Ian Happ but picked up his 28th save.
The Pirates, who cobbled together two runs in the first, had lost two straight. The Cubs had won two in a row and five of their previous six.
Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks (5-7) gave up two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings, with four strikeouts and one walk.
In the first, Ke’Bryan Hayes opened with a single to left. He went to third when Bryan Reynolds doubled to the corner in right. Andrew McCutchen grounded out, with Hayes scoring for a 1-0 Pittsburgh lead. Joshua Palacios hit into a fielder’s choice, with the choice being for second baseman Nico Hoerner to throw home. Reynolds beat that throw to increase the lead to 2-0.
The Pirates threatened in the second when Alika Williams doubled to left and, an out later, went to third on Hayes’ single. But Reynolds struck out, and Hayes was caught stealing in an inning-ending double play.
Keller was perfect through 3 2/3 innings. Happ then doubled to right, but Cody Bellinger flied out to left to snuff the opportunity.
The Cubs’ second hit off Keller was a one-out infield hit by Seiya Suzuki in the fifth. Yan Gomes later was hit by a pitch, but Nick Madrigal grounded out to end the frame.
Pittsburgh threatened again in the sixth. Connor Joe singled to left with one out and went to second as Jack Suwinski ended an 0-for-14 skid with a single to right. Ji Hwan Bae grounded out to advance the runners one base. Jose Cuas replaced Hendricks and got Williams to ground out.
The Pirates got runners to first and third with two outs in the seventh before McCutchen hit into a double play. Pittsburgh was 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
With one out in the eighth, Madrigal reached on an infield hit that hit Keller in the left shin. Keller seemed to be in discomfort but remained in the game and finished the inning.
Happ led off the ninth with his 15th homer to right-center.
–Field Level Media
