Best Pitching Performance, No. 1: KKKKKKKKKKKKKeller Dominates in Toledo
INDIANAPOLIS - Mitch Keller earned Indianapolis' Pitcher of the Year Award, the International League's Most Valuable Pitcher honor and both mid and postseason IL All-Star honors. The 23-year-old met expectations as Pittsburgh's top prospect throughout the season, but he was at his best on June 7 in Toledo when he
INDIANAPOLIS -
Keller made his major league debut with Pittsburgh on May 27 at Cincinnati and was optioned to Triple-A after the outing. Following six innings of two-run ball on June 2 vs. Gwinnett, Keller took his talents north to Toledo against the division rival Mud Hens. The start did not get off on the right foot.
In the first inning, Keller fell behind
Keller caught
The Cedar Rapids, Iowa native continued his strikeout barrage in the third, fanning Pinero, Castro and Reyes on three different pitches - slider, curveball, fastball. Keller's command rolled into the fourth as he jumped ahead of Peterson, Eaves and Cameron. Peterson went down swinging for the eighth straight swinging punchout, while Eaves and Cameron were both caught looking at a third strike.
Rogers became the first Mud Hen to put the ball in play since Woodrow's leadoff single in the first, but he flied out routinely to right field. Keller's final strikeout came on a 3-2 curveball to Robson, and he capped the start with a Woodrow groundout to first.
The 13 strikeouts tied a Victory Field era (1996-present) road record, with
Keller's final line: 5ip, 1h, 0r, 0er, 3bb, 13k - 92 pitches/59 strikes, 1 groundout, 1 flyout
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