Keller Ends Drought, Reynolds Homers in Pirates’ 9-1 Win

    0
    0

    PITTSBURGH — Mitch Keller achieved a milestone Friday night by helping the Pittsburgh Pirates clinch a 9-1 victory over the New York Mets. He persevered through 5 1/3 innings to finally snap his 15-game stretch without a win, becoming victorious for the first time since his season debut on March 28 against Miami. This streak marked the longest duration without a win for a single season in the Pirates’ history.

    Contributing significantly to the Pirates’ victory, Bryan Reynolds delivered a powerful three-run homer, which highlighted the sixth inning. His home run, struck off Blake Tidwell who had recently been elevated from Triple-A Syracuse, traveled 402 feet into the right-field bleachers, substantially increasing the Pirates’ lead to 8-1.

    The Mets managed to post their sole run when Juan Soto connected for his 20th home run during the fourth inning, offering a brief glimpse of hope. However, Mets left-hander David Peterson (5-4) faced challenges throughout his outing, surrendering five runs and seven hits across 4 2/3 innings. This setback came closely on the heels of another tough performance last Sunday against Philadelphia, where he allowed five runs over four innings. Until this point, Peterson’s season had been marked by consistent results, allowing three earned runs or fewer in 12 out of 14 starts.

    It was in the second inning that the Pirates initiated an early and commanding lead by scoring four runs against Peterson. Key contributors like Jared Triolo, Alexander Canario, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Tommy Pham stepped up with successive run-scoring at-bats. Notably, both Canario and the Mets’ Brett Baty each secured two doubles during the game.

    This victory was a welcome reprieve for the Pirates, who had previously suffered losses in eight of their last 11 games as they embarked on this three-game series opener. Conversely, the Mets arrived in Pittsburgh on a high note, having secured back-to-back wins following a rough patch in which they dropped 10 out of 11 games.

    Initially, the game encountered a 21-minute delay due to rain, but it eventually commenced, setting the stage for the Pirates’ triumph. Jared Triolo’s line-drive single into left field marked a pivotal moment as it brought in the first run, setting the pace for the remainder of the match.

    Significantly, this victory also saw Mitch Keller breaking a personal hurdle, marking his first home win since July 8 last year, coincidently another contest against the Mets. He had gone 0-10 over his previous 16 starts at PNC Park.

    Looking ahead, the series continues as the Mets are set to pitch RHP Paul Blackburn (0-2, 6.62 ERA) against the Pirates’ LHP Bailey Falter (6-3, 3.59 ERA) on Saturday.