The Pirates’ pitching was subpar again yesterday, from starter Mitch Keller to another pitiful bullpen performance in their series finale against Atlanta.
Greg Brown recaps the loss.
Mitch Keller started the year with a 2.87 ERA in his first eight starts, but that number has ballooned to 7.03 in his last nine. He enters the All-Star break 6-7 overall with a 5.14 ERA, and is in need of a reset, according to manager Donnie Kelly
The Pirates were only 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, and they stranded eight runners. Kelly says they let one get away that they should have won.
The Pirates’ bullpen carries a 4.53 ERA this season, ranking them 23rd in MLB, but key “leverage” relievers are failing them. Dennis Santana’s ERA is 5.25, Gregory Soto’s is 4.15, Mason Montgomery 4.25 and Isaac Matson 4.66. Kelly can only work with the guys he has, and he says they need to pick it up.
The MLB Draft begins tomorrow at one o’clock and the Pirates hold the number five overall selection. They have six choices on the first day including the 34th overall choice, which is a Competitive Balance Round A selection and is the only draft choice eligible to be traded to another team. Multiple sources say the Bucs are willing to trade the pick for some Major League bullpen help.
The Pirates also have selection numbers 44, 51, 80, and 108 on Saturday, and numbers 140, 169, 198, 228, 258, and 288 on Sunday. The number 51 choice is a compensation pick for the failure to sign last year’s second round selection, pitcher Angel Cervantes, who chose to go to UCLA rather than turn pro.
The Bucs also have the largest bonus pool amount of all teams, $19,130,700 million.
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