Pirates' Mitch Keller looks for run support; Rockies seek elusive home sweep

Mitch Keller's name frequently popped up in trade rumors ahead of the deadline on Thursday, but the veteran right-hander stayed with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Now, Keller (4-10, 3.69 ERA) can focus on the rest of the season, starting Sunday afternoon when he takes the mound in the series finale against the Colorado Rockies in Denver.

Rookie right-hander Bradley Blalock (1-2, 7.09) will start for Colorado, which has a chance to sweep its first home series of the year.

The Rockies might be without Seth Halvorsen for the rest of the season after the right-handed closer left Saturday's game in the ninth with an injury to his pitching elbow. Interim manager Warren Schaeffer didn't have a definitive update but sounded discouraged.

"It don't look good," Schaeffer said.

While Keller's record isn't flashy, he has pitched better than his record indicates in his 22 starts this season. He has a 3.02 ERA over his past nine outings and has won his past three decisions after losing 10 straight from April 4-June 21. In those games, the Pirates scored more than two runs just once.

He struggled in his most recent start, tossing 73 pitches in just two innings against the San Francisco Giants on Monday in a game the Rockies won 6-5. He will face Colorado for fifth time in his career -- and fourth start -- and holds a 2-1 record and 0.39 ERA in those appearances.

His lone loss came in Denver on July 16, 2022, when he allowed an unearned run in a 2-0 Colorado victory.

He will try to salvage the final game of the series for the Pirates, who dropped their second straight, 8-5, on Saturday despite having Paul Skenes on the mound. Pittsburgh entered the weekend on a five-game winning streak but couldn't hold a significant lead Friday night.

The Pirates scored nine runs in the first inning and led 15-6 after they batted in the top of the fifth and then fell 17-16 following the Rockies' four-run fifth inning and five-run ninth.

"Our pitching has been so good all year long," Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly said. "When you look at the foundation they've set from the starters to the bullpen, and the way we've gone about it, I definitely think Friday was a blip. Some guys may be pitching here for the first time, too."

Blalock is coming off his first quality start of the season and best outing of the year. He threw six shutout innings at Cleveland on Monday but was denied a win when the Rockies couldn't hold his 3-0 lead before defeating the Guardians 8-6.

The bottom fell out for Blalock on May 10 when he gave up 12 runs in 3 2/3 innings in a 21-0 loss to the San Diego Padres, and he was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque the next day. He was recalled July 7 and is 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA in three starts since his return.

"You've seen it the last three starts he's had," Schaeffer said after Blalock's start in Cleveland. "You can see confidence building."

Blalock, who hasn't faced Pittsburgh in his brief career, said he gained that confidence after a conversation with Rockies minor league pitching coordinator Scott Oberg.

Since his recall, Blalock has walked just one batter in the 17 innings.

"Scott came to me and was like, ‘Stop trying to throw the ball to the corners. You've got a lot more plate to live with,'" Blalock said of his talk with Oberg.

--Field Level Media