PITTSBURGH PIRATES NOTES:
THE PIRATES:…won their first extra inning game of the year in come-from-behind fashion Saturday at St. Louis…Are off to their best start since going 11-4 in their first 15 games of the 2018 season…Won a season-high four straight games from 4/3-7…Have not lost back-to-back games since dropping the final two contests of their season-opening series in Cincinnati.
CUTCH CLUTCH: Andrew McCutchen’s game-winning blast off Jordan Hicks in the 10th inning yesterday was Pittsburgh’s first two-run leadoff home run…The Pirates had never homered in an extra inning regardless of circumstances since the ghost runner rule started in 2020 (special thanks to the Elias Sports Bureau)…McCutchen’s homer was also his first in extra frames since hitting a three-run walkoff in the 14th inning off Los Angeles’ Wilmer Font on April 7, 2018, while playing for the Giants.
EXTRA EXTRA: Yesterday the Pirates won in extra innings on the road for the first time since August 3, 2021, at Milwaukee… Pittsburgh dropped six straight extra inning road affairs since beating the Brewers on that day, going 0-4 in 2022 while also losing in 11 innings at Wrigley Field on September 2, 2021, and in 10 innings on September 19, 2021, at Miami.
WHAT’S AT STAKE: This afternoon the Pirates will look to earn a four-game series win in St. Louis for the third time since 2019…Pittsburgh lost three of four here last year from June 13-15, took three of four from June 24-27, 2021, and also won three of four from May 9-12, 2019.
LEADING THINGS OFF: Ke’Bryan Hayes hit the first leadoff home run of his career yesterday with his 440-foot shot off St. Louis’ Steven Matz…
The 440-foot blast was the farthest of Hayes’ career and by a Pirate this season (his previous longest was 429 feet on September 23, 2020, off
Kyle Hendricks of the Cubs).
COMING INTO HIS OWN: Mitch Keller recorded a 3.22 ERA from May 31 through the end of the 2022 regular season, which ranked 12th among all National League pitchers in that time according to StatsPerform… Coming into today, Keller ranks seventh among all National League pitchers in ERA since May 31, 2022, among pitchers with at least 135.0 innings pitched.
ABOUT TODAY’S STARTER: Mitch Keller was Pittsburgh’s Opening Day starter in Cincinnati, where he had a no-decision (4.2ip/4er) in the team’s 5-4 win…He earned his first win of the year (7.0ip/1r) on April 5 at Boston when he threw 78 strikes (107 pitches total), the most by a Pirates pitcher since April 24, 2015, when Gerrit Cole threw 78 of his 108 pitches for strikes at Arizona…In his last outing Tuesday against the WorldChampion Astros, he was in line for the win (6.0ip/2r) but had a no-decision in a 7-4 walkoff victory for the Pirates.
ROCKIES ON TAP: The Pirates will continue their road trip tomorrow with the beginning of a three-game series against the Rockies…Pittsburgh dropped two of three games in Colorado last year from July 15-17 in the final series leading up to the All-Star break.
GETTING STRETCHED OUT: Pittsburgh’s starters have worked at least 6.0 innings in each of the last five games…That’s the longest stretch since making eight straight of at least 6.0 innings from April 10-19, 2019…The starting staff has recorded a 2.03 ERA (31.0ip/7er) during this current five-game stretch…The starting staff has also thrown the fourth-most innings (79.1) among all National League teams coming into today.
HEATING UP: Rodolfo Castro has hit safely in five straight and six of his last seven games, going 10-for-20 with a pair of doubles, home run and 1.380 OPS…In addition, Castro’s .630 on-base percentage since April 8 ranks second in all of MLB behind Miami’s Luis Arraez (.652).
GOING THE EXTRA MILE: Pittsburgh recorded five extra base hits in Saturday’s win and enter today fifth in the National League and 10th in all of Major League Baseball in that department (49)…The only four National League teams to collect more extra base hits are the Dodgers and Phillies with 55 apiece, Braves (52) and Padres (51).
PROVIDING RELIEF: Pittsburgh’s bullpen enters today ranked fifth among National League teams with a 3.69 ERA (53.2ip/22er)…Pirates relievers have also surrendered a total of three home runs this year, which is tied for the second-fewest in MLB along with the Red Sox and Mariners…The only team to allow fewer home runs out of the bullpen are the Rangers (two).
TODAY’S STARTING PTICHER – #23 RHP MITCH KELLER
MITCH KELLER: The 27-year-old righthander will make his fourth start of the season this afternoon…Was in line for the win but had a no-decision in his last start; a 7-4 walkoff win Tuesday against the Astros…Came away with a no-decision (4.2ip/4er) on Opening Day in Cincinnati in Pittsburgh’s 5-4 win.
VS. ST. LOUIS: 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA (42.2ip/15er) in eight career starts…Went 0-1 in four starts last season; suffered a 6-2 loss on 4/9 at Busch Stadium (4.0ip/4er), was in line for the win (5.1ip/2r) but had a no-decision in a 7-5 loss at Busch on 6/13, tossed 7.0 scoreless innings but had a no-decision in a last at-bat loss on 9/11 at PNC Park, and had a no-decision (5.0ip/2er) in a 3-2 win at Busch on 10/3…Went 1-0 in two starts in 2021; pitched 5.0 scoreless innings in a combined 4-0 shutout at Busch Stadium on 8/20 and gave up seven runs in 5.1ip on 8/26 at PNC Park (no-decision).
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS NOTES:
RECENT REDBIRDS: The defending National League Central Division Champion St. Louis Cardinals and division rival Pittsburgh Pirates play the finale of a four-game series this afternoon at Busch Stadium … St. Louis continues its seven game homestand tomorrow with the first of three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks … With a win today, the Cardinals would avoid losing their first four-game series to Pittsburgh since June 24-27, 2021 at Busch Stadium.
YO HO HO: Today marks Miles Mikolas’ 20th career appearance (17th start) vs. the Pirates, his most against any opponent in his career … The last time Miles Mikolas faced the Pirates at Busch Stadium was the 2nd game of a doubleheader on June 14, 2022, when the All-Star right-hander carried a no-hitter two outs and two strikes into the 9th inning before Bucs rookie Cal Mitchell doubled over Harrison Bader’s head in center to break it up.
100: Oliver Marmol is closing in on his 100th career win as Cardinals manager, going 99-78 over his first 177 games … A win today would make Marmol the:
• 8th-fastest Cardinals manager to reach 100 wins in terms of games
• 11th MLB manager in the Expansion Era (1961-present) and 93rd overall in MLB history to win his 100th game before his 37th birthday
• 52nd manager all-time to reach 100 wins with a winning record before age 37 and first since Sparky Anderson (age 36.216, 100-59 record) in 1970.
• 3rd Cardinals manager to reach 100 wins with a winning record before age 37, joining player managers Rogers Hornsby (age 30.057, 100-79 record in 1926) and Frankie Frisch (age 36.341, 100-72 record in 1934).
SHIVER ME TIMBERS: Oliver Marmol’s first career win as Cardinals manager was April 7, 2022 in a 9-0 shutout win over the Buccos on Opening Day, and since Oli became skipper in 2022, his clubs have beaten Pittsburgh (14) more than any other team.
AHOY, MATEY: St. Louis has won the season series over Pittsburgh for nine consecutive seasons (2014-22) and 20 times in the last 23 years since 2000 (excluding 2008, 2012, 2013). BURIED TREASURE: Although dropping five of its last seven to the Buccos dating back to last season, St. Louis owns MLB’s best overall win pct. against the Pirates (.587, 108-76) dating back to 2013 when the two teams squared off in the Division Series.
SLOW STARTS: The last time the Cardinals were in last place in their division after the first 15 games was 1990 when they were in 6th place in the National League East (also 6-9 record; finished 70-92) … That 1990 season, the Pirates were also 9-6 but in first place … The last time St. Louis started the season 6-9 was 2017 (83-79 finish)
WE’RE GOING STREAKING: Paul Goldschmidt has reached base safely in all 15 games this season, matching his longest career on-base streak to begin a season (2013) and tying two others for MLB’s 2nd-longest active OB streak behind Xander Bogaerts (16) … Matt Holliday holds the Cardinals record of reaching base in 45 straight games to begin the 2015 season … Alec Burleson has hit safely in a career best 10 consecutive games (.324, 12-37) since April 2, T-3rd longest active hitting streak in MLB.
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER: RHP MILES MIKOLAS (0-1, 10.05)
TODAY’S GAME
NL Ranks: Hits Allowed (29, 1st), Runs Allowed (16, 1st), ER allowed (16, 1st), HR Allowed (4, T-4th), Most Pitches Per Inning (19.3, 2nd).
• The 2022 N.L. All-Star is making his 4th start of 2023, 147th career appearance & 119th career start.
• Has allowed at least 5 runs and 9 hits in every start this season, first pitcher in MLB to begin a season with three such starts since Alex Cobb (2018, BAL); most recent with four is Denny Stark (2004, COL).
• His 10.05 ERA in March/April is currently the highest in Cardinals history of pitchers with 14 or more innings pitched in the combined months.
• Became the 16th pitcher in Cardinals history to start a season allowing five or more runs in his first three starts and first since Brett Tomko (2003). Franchise record is four by Bill Popp (1902) and Albert “Cowboy” Jones (1901).
• Has walked 112 batters over his first 108 starts with St. Louis. Among Cardinals starters in their first 108 starts with the franchise, only Bob Tewksbury (86) has issued fewer.
• Has allowed six of his 16 runs in the first inning (18.00 ERA).
• Was one of 10 MLB pitchers and two Cardinals (Wainwright) with a perfect 1.000 fielding pct. (31 total chances) in 2022. Hasn’t made an error since 8/2/18 vs. COL.
• Signed a two-year contract extension through 2025 on March 24.
LAST TIME OUT
• Received a no decision despite departing the game after 5.0 innings trailing 6-2 after allowing three home runs tying his career-high (6th time), including back-to-back to Ryan McMahon and C.J. Cron. Tied his season-high with 10 hits allowed (also Opening Day vs. TOR). The Cardinals have managed to go 3-1 in his four starts at Coors Field despite an 11.94 ERA at the stadium.
DATE vs. RESULT DEC IP H R ER BB SO HR NP-S
4/11 @COL W 9-6 ND 5.0 10 6 6 2 3 3 88-58
2023
• Drew his 2nd career Opening Day start (3/30) and had a no-decision in the Cardinals 10-9 loss to Toronto that featured five lead changes.
• Recored his 500th career strikeout in the National League on Opening Day.
• Has allowed at least five runs and nine hits in each of his
• Was a 3-0 with 0.00 ERA in three Grapefruit League starts this season, allowing just one unearned run in his 12.0 IP. 123 of his 133 pitches thrown this spring were strikes
• Pitched for Team USA during World Baseball Classic, totaling 6.0 IP in two relief appearances, including a 4.0 inning stint in the American’s semi-final win over Cuba.
