Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller (23) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at PNC Park on June 2. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Pirates on a Ridiculously Historic Roll Not Seen Since 1884

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Brady Farkas | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 4:30 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates stayed hot on Wednesday afternoon, shutting out the St. Louis Cardinals 5-0 at PNC Park.

With that, the team has now done something not seen since 1884, according to @OptaSTATS:

The @Pirates have outscored opponents 43-4 over their last six games.

That's the most runs scored over a six-game span while allowing fewer than five runs in MLB history. The previous most while allowing so few was by the Cincinnati Outlaw Reds in 1884 (42).

The @Pirates have outscored opponents 43-4 over their last six games.

That's the most runs scored over a six-game span while allowing fewer than five runs in MLB history. The previous most while allowing so few was by the Cincinnati Outlaw Reds in 1884 (42). pic.twitter.com/9nBSnkQvdU
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) July 2, 2025

Veteran right-hander Mitch Keller earned the win on the mound, going seven strong innings. He surrendered just five hits and one walk. He struck out seven. The former All-Star is just 3-10 now, but he has a respectable 3.64 ERA. We learned over the weekend that the Chicago Cubs are working hard to acquire Keller in advance of the trade deadline, and a performance like this should drive the price up on the National League Central rivals.

Offensively, the Pirates were led by Oneil Cruz, who went 1-for-4 with a double and a stolen base. The double was his 11th of the season.

The Pirates are now 38-50 through 88 games, while the Cardinals are 47-41. Sonny Gray surrendered four earned runs over 6.1 innings to take the loss.

Pittsburgh will be off on Thursday before traveling to the West Coast for a July 4th matchup with the Seattle Mariners. First pitch on Friday is set for 4:10 p.m. ET. Neither team has announced a starting pitcher at this point, but Luis Castillo is expected to take the ball for Seattle.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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