PHOENIX – Mitch Keller was about as close to perfect as you can ask of a starter, and even that wasn’t enough to get the Pirates back in the win column.
Keller, who will head to Seattle soon for his first All-Star Game later this week, produced seven scoreless innings while allowing just one hit, and yet the Pirates still fell 3-2 in extra innings to the Diamondbacks Saturday at Chase Field for their fourth loss in a row.
The Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll walked it off with a bases-loaded single in the 10th off closer David Bednar to send the Pirates to their fourth straight loss and fifth of the West Coast road trip.
It took until the sixth inning for the Diamondbacks to break up Keller’s no-hit bid, coming on a single to right by Ketel Marte. For Keller, it was his third outing of the season in which he’s given up no earned runs, with the previous two coming on back-to-back starts in early May.
All of the good work by Keller proved irrelevant on an afternoon in which the Pirates managed only two hits on a single run that was made possible by a ground-rule double by Jack Suwinski.
By failing to build up a legitimately comfortable lead for Keller, the Pirates left themselves susceptible to a late Diamondbacks comeback, which is precisely what transpired.
ON THE MOUND
The Pirates’ bullpen certainly made things interesting after Keller departed. Setup man Colin Holderman gave up a solo shot to No. 9 hitter Alek Thomas to lead off the eighth, allowing the Diamondbacks to tie the game up.
Holderman spun a cutter that didn’t bite enough and instead traveled across the heart of the plate, upon which Thomas deposited a no-doubter out to right. Bednar settled things down in the ninth, however, recording three straight outs to ensure the game went to extra innings.
But in the 10th, Bednar could only keep the Diamondbacks at bay for so long.
AT THE PLATE
For as well as Keller pitched, the Diamondbacks were mostly able to keep the Pirates’ offense at bay. Through five innings, the Pirates had mustered only one hit, a double by Bryan Reynolds that nearly plated Henry Davis. Third-base coach Mike Rabelo challenged the Diamondbacks’ outfield by wheeling around Davis, but he was gunned down at home.
It wasn't until the sixth that the Pirates scratched across the game’s first run, courtesy of Suwinski’s double that drove in Jason Delay with two down. Suwinkski, who has now hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, entered the afternoon 11 for his last 27 with two doubles, three home runs and a 1.370 OPS.
UP NEXT
It’s unclear who will get the ball for the Pirates in the rotation spot previously held by Luis Ortiz for the series finale. Zach Davies, who has given up at least four earned runs in four of his past five starts, will go for the Diamondbacks.
