Curve's Keller goes distance in one-hitter
Even as Mitch Keller ventured into unchartered territory Thursday night for Double-A Altoona, he refused to let a baserunner become a setback in his third postseason start. When the first four pitches he's thrown in the ninth inning of a professional ball game missed the strike zone, the second-ranked Pirates
Even as
"When [Bowie right fielder Steve Wilkerson] got on, I just thought to myself, 'They've been turning two for you all night. Just put it in the zone and let the defense work,'" Keller recalled.
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Seemingly on cue, the right-hander induced a double play from
"We were mixing pretty well. Not throwing the same thing, not the same sequences all night," MLB.com's No. 21 prospect said. "I can't really pick one, they're all working. That too is a big confidence booster."
After earning a promotion from Class A Advanced Bradenton the first week of August, the 21-year-old amassed a 2-2 record and a 3.12 ERA with 45 strikeouts in six starts for Altoona while holding opposing batters to a .197 average. Thursday night marked the first time a Curve pitcher ever faced the minimum over nine innings.
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"I was kind of surprised myself that no one was taking me out because I had never gone nine before," the Iowa native said, although he sat at just 80 pitches after eight innings. "I don't really know what to say. It was so awesome to be able to go out there for the ninth."
Keller got through the outing in 90 pitches, 59 for strikes. He had four punchouts and two walks.
The first two members of the Baysox to reach base --
"That's the way you write it up. It's just as few pitches as possible," the second-round pick in the 2014 Draft said. "When they're turning two like that, you get someone on and you have no worries. It's a great feeling out there on the mound when everything is rolling like that."
Altoona second baseman
"I can't say enough about the defense behind me. It was unbelievable, they were making plays for me all night out there," Keller said.
Game 2 of the best-of-5 series will be played at 7 p.m. ET on Friday night at Prince George's Stadium.
Gerard Gilberto is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow and interact with him on Twitter, @GerardGilberto4.