Mitch Keller was outstanding over seven innings as the Pirates beat Boston, 4-1, to end their season-opening road trip with a record of 4-2. The win gave the Pirates a sweep of the Betts-less and Bogaerts-less Red Sox (there’s a lesson in there).
Keller dominated the Sox through six innings, giving up just one hit, as the Pirates took a 4-0 lead. With two outs in the seventh, though, a misplayed fly ball and two infield hits made it 4-1 with runners at the corners.
At that point, Derek Shelton resorted to deep strategy. Boston sent the left-handed Reese McGuire up to pinch hit for Yu Chang (bet you didn’t see that coming). With two lefties in the bullpen, Shelton left Keller, who was over 100 pitches, in the game. The idea was to fool the Sox into thinking he had put a lefty in, so they’d replace McGuire with a right-handed hitter. But the Sox saw through the strategy when their spy camera in center showed that number 23 was still on the mound. McGuire then hit a game-tying home run inside the foul pole.
Then Shelton’s real strategy was revealed: instant replay. It turned out the ball was foul. That set Keller up, as planned, to sneak a third strike past McGuire.
Keller finished with seven innings, 107 pitches, four hits, two walks and seven strikeouts.
The offense got enough done. Carlos Santana started the scoring in the fourth with his first Pirate home run and RBI. In the sixth, Bryan Reynolds doubled and came around on an infield hit by Andrew McCutchen and a bunt single by Ke’Bryan Hayes.
The last two runs came in the seventh. Jason Delay doubled and Oneil Cruz reached on a fielder’s choice. Reynolds flied out to score Delay and Santana doubled Cruz home. Prior to the double, Cruz was involved in a collision at third and got kicked in the eye. He stayed in at the time but came out later. He’s currently being evaluated.
The offense wasn’t without its bad moments. The Pirates loaded the bases in the first with one out, but Hayes and Jack Suwinski both popped out. In the ninth, they got runners to second and third with one out when Reynolds and McCutchen both reached and pulled off a double steal. Reynolds got caught between third and home on a bouncer back to the mound and McCutchen, channeling Andy LaRoche, got caught between second and third after Reynolds was tagged out, for a double play.
The foolishness on the bases didn’t matter, though. With Colin Holderman and David Bednar unavailable, Rob Zastryzny and Duane Underwood, Jr., finished up on a grand total of 13 pitches. Zastryzny worked a perfect eighth and Underwood had a five-pitch ninth with the help of a double play. Keller got his first win of the year and Underwood picked up his second career save.
INFORMATIONAL NOTE: Indianapolis was rained out. They’re scheduled for two tomorrow.
