Mitch Keller struggled again for the Pirates yesterday as the Bucs dropped another game to Anaheim. Joe Block has the story.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton says part of Keller’s problem was pitch selection.
Shelton says former Pirate Tyler Anderson kept the Pirates’ young lineup off balance with his quirky delivery.
Keller says he is not sure what is different now as compared to his pre-All-Star game form.
For tonight’s series opener in San Diego, Quinn Priester [0-1, 11.36 ERA] makes his second Major League appearance against the Padres’ Yu Darvish [7-6, 4.36 ERA]. It’s a 9:15 airtime, 9:40 first pitch on WCCS.
With one day to go before the deadline, only two of the Pirates’ twenty draft choices have not signed contracts. They are 17th round third baseman Daniel Cuvet and 18th round shortstop Kalae Harrison. The team has not yet announced the signing of their 20th round selection, pitcher Peyton Stumbo, but he reportedly has inked his contract. In addition to their draft picks, the Pirates signed undrafted free agent Ronaldo Gallo, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Miami.
ALTOONA CURVE
Newly-promoted Mike Davis lined his first Double-A hit into right field to drive in Abrahan Gutierrez in the seventh inning and reliever Oliver Garcia survived a wild ninth inning as Altoona nipped Reading, 1-0.
Garcia came on to start the ninth and walked the first three Phillies batters. He then struck out a batter on a 3-2 pitch for the first out, induced a popout to the catcher for the second out, then got Cam Cannon to fly out to the left field wall, with Matt Fraizer squeezing the ball for the game’s final out. Five Curve pitchers tossed the shutout, with starter Braxton Ashcraft throwing three perfect innings and striking out four.
Altoona split the series with Reading, 3-3. They’re off until tomorrow when they open a six-game series in Harrisburg.
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