Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller (23) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium on March 7. Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Pirates' Rotation Stalwart Moves into Prestigious Group in Team History

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Brady Farkas | Last updated May 7, 2025 4:05 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates lost on Wednesday afternoon, dropping a 5-0 contest against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

Pittsburgh is off to a dreadful 12-26 start while the Cardinals have moved up to an even .500 at 19-19.

Mitch Keller pitched well in defeat for Pittsburgh, posting a quality start. He went six innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits. He walked three and struck out six. He's now 1-4 with a 4.40 ERA, though he did put himself in a prestigious group in team history with the effort.

Per Jon Dreker on social media:

Mitch Keller moved into the top 20 for all-time Pittsburgh Pirates strikeouts today, tying Francisco Liriano with 722. Next up is Gerrit Cole with 734

Mitch Keller moved into the top 20 for all-time Pittsburgh Pirates strikeouts today, tying Francisco Liriano with 722. Next up is Gerrit Cole with 734
— John Dreker (@JohnDreker) May 7, 2025

Keller, 29, is a seven-year veteran of the Pirates, going 37-54 overall with a 4.58 ERA. He won a career-high 13 games in 2023, a year in which he also made the All-Star Game. He pairs with Paul Skenes to make a solid front-end of Pittsburgh's rotation, and it's even better when Jared Jones is healthy. Top prospect Bubba Chandler is also on the way soon.

The Pirates mustered only four hits in the defeat, all singles, as their offensive woes continue this season. St. Louis got a three-hit day from Lars Nootbaar while Masyn Winn added a 2-for-4 performance with two RBIs.

The Pirates will be off on Thursday before starting a new series on Friday night with the Atlanta Braves. FIrst pitch from PNC Park will be thrown at 6:40 p.m. ET.

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

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