Gameday 53: Mitch Keller on the mound as Pirates have chance to claim series against Braves

Pirates offense exploded for 11 runs on Friday

May 25, 2024

The Pirates’ offense exploded for 11 runs on 14 hits on Friday, and Bailey Falter pitched well again, which led to the home team winning game one against the Braves 11-5.

Connor Joe hit a pair of doubles, Nick Gonzales had a pair of hits, and Jared Triolo went deep for the Pirates offense.

Mitch Keller will pitch for the Pirates, who have won in three straight starts. In that time, he has reduced his ERA from 5.18 to 3.84 and is now 5-3 on the season.

They will face Reynaldo Lopez, who made the switch back to the rotation this season after mostly pitching in relief during his major league career.

First pitch is expected around 4:05 pm ET.

Pirates Lineup

DH - Andrew McCutchen

LF - Bryan Reynolds

1B - Connor Joe

SS - Oneil Cruz

2B - Nick Gonzales

RF - Edward Olivares

C - Yasmani Grandal

3B - Jared Triolo

CF - Ji-Hwan Bae

Lineup

RF - Ronald Acuna Jr.

2B - Ozzie Albies

DH - Marcel Ozuna

1B - Matt Olson

SS - Orlando Arcia

CF - Michael Harris II

LF - Jarred Kelenic

C - Chadwick Tromp

3B - Zack Short

Pitching Matchup

PIT - Mitch Keller (5-3, 3.84, 61 IP, 19 BB, 54 K)

ATL - Reynaldo Lopez (2-1, 1.54 ERA, 46.2 IP, 17 BB, 44 K)

Yesterday’s Feature

After starting the year on the Development List, Nick Cimillo is making the most of his chance to play more consistently in May. He hit his fifth home run of the season—the fourth this month along—on Friday.

Bucs On Deck

Nick Cimillo: Late round pick playing well in Greensboro this May

Sometimes, it takes a little bit to find your footing in the pros, which is something you can certainly say about Nick Cimillo and his first shot at High-A Greensboro. After being drafted in the 16th round out of Rutgers, Cimillo played a few games in Bradenton to close out the 2022 season…

6 months ago · 3 likes · 11 comments · Anthony Murphy

Today’s Feature

One of the more intriguing players to make the jump from the Complex to Bradenton was Eddy Rodriguez. Jim Horner was the manager with the FCL Pirates last year, and is in the same role with the Marauders now, and he discusses what stands out about Rodriguez.

Bucs On Deck

Eddy Rodriguez adding 'toughness' to Bradenton lineup

When a team signs an international player, it can be a couple of years before we get much information on them. Some of the top players will have some scouting reports, but since they are so young when they are signed, it’s nearly impossible to tell what to expect when they come stateside…

6 months ago · 3 likes · 2 comments · Anthony Murphy

Support the site by becoming a paid member, and get access to all of our premium content, including our Top 25 list with complete player write-ups and my video breakdowns, which come out weekly.

It will also give access to my player feature articles from on-site trips.

Bucs On Deck

Player Observations: Estuar Suero, Miguel Sosa, Jose Regalado

Even though there are a few repeaters, the amount we’ve seen on the Florida Complex League team players is pretty high. So, my trip to Bradenton was an excellent opportunity to see (plus get video) some of the players playing in the FCL. Many people have heard their names, but they haven’t seen many of them in action…

7 months ago · 5 likes · Anthony Murphy

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WTM

May 25Edited

Triolo and Bae aren't exactly lighting up the sky with fireworks, but they're grinding away enough to get good things done now and then. Can't be said for Tellez, or for numerous other veterans BC has brought in. If you have to have players with crappy numbers, at least have some who are scrambling to find a place in The Show and not just adding another year to their pension rights.

And an interesting factoid -- After a whopping three games, Skenes is already 7th on the team in bWAR.

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May 25

Frack, it's official, right?

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