Right-hander Mitch Keller struck out seven and allowed only three hits in four and two-thirds innings Saturday as the Pirates beat the Minnesota Twins, 7-4 in exhibition baseball. That makes three straight wins for the Bucs.
Keller gave up a fourth inning solo home run to Trevor Larnach but Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the inning and new acquisition Mark Mathias banged out an RBI double to make it 3-1. After the Twins got another run in the sixth, the Pirates added two more runs in the same inning on a sacrifice fly by Miguel Andujar and a run-scoring single by Rodolfo Castro. Travis Swaggerty then crushed a solo home run in the seventh and Andres Alvarez knocked in a run with an RBI double in the eighth.
The Pirates play the Orioles this afternoon in Sarasota.
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