Pirates Name Probable Starting Pitchers vs. Mets

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates host the New York Mets at PNC Park for a weekend series, with a change to their starting rotation.

Right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller starts the series opener on June 27, marking his 17th start of the season for the Pirates. Keller has a 1-10 record, with a 4.02 ERA over 94.0 innings pitched, 73 strikeouts to 24 walks, a .249 opposing batting average and a 1.22 WHIP.

He has 11 quality starts on the season, tied for the seventh most in the MLB, despite his record, as he's received poor run support all campaign. Keller excelled in his previous start vs. the Mets back at Citi Field on May 13, with just two runs allowed over seven innings, while posting a season-high eight strikeouts in the 2-1 defeat.

He made his most recent start vs. the Texas Rangers at PNC Park on June 21, where he allowed three runs, two earned, with five strikeouts over 99 pitches in the 3-2 loss.

Keller is looking for his first win since March 28 vs. the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park and his first win at PNC Park since he beat the Mets on July 8, 2024.

Left-handed pitcher Bailey Falter will start the second game of the series on June 28, also marking his 17th start of the season. Falter has pitched well in 2025, with a 6-3 record over 16 starts, a 3.53 ERA over 85.1 innings pitched, 51 strikeouts to 31 walks, a .230 opposing batting average and a 1.18 WHIP.

He faced the Mets in the 4-0 victory on May 14, but didn't get the win, throwing 78 pitches over 3.2 innings before the Pirates bullpen came in and shut the home team down.

Falter allowed three earned runs over 5.1 innings in his most recent start vs. the Rangers on June 22, with six hits and five walks allowed to one strikeout, but the Pirates offense came through with eight runs, giving him his sixth victory of the season.

Rookie right-handed pitcher Mike Burrows gets the start for the Pirates in the series finale on June 29. Burrows pitched 2.1 innings in relief vs. the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field, coming in for star right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes in the 4-2 loss. Burrows allowed just one walk and posted a strikeout in his first bullpen appearance of the season.

He last started vs. the Rangers on June 20, where he struggled, allowing four runs over 4.2 innings in the 6-2 loss.

A doubleheader vs. the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on June 19 moved the starting rotation around for the last series with the Brewers.

Both left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney and Skenes started that day, so they moved their starts back a day, and Heaney didn't have only three days of rest between starts.

The Pirates went with a bullpen game on June 23, with rookie right-handed pitcher Braxton Ashcraft starting, which moved Burrows back from the series finale, right after Skenes, to the series finale vs. the Mets.