PITTSBURGH PIRATES NOTES:
THE PIRATES: Were swept by the Cubs during their brief three game-homestand that ended yesterday…Have lost a season-high nine straight games…Have had four separate winning streaks of at least four games this season, including a season-high seven-game winning streak from 4/17-23. ROSTER MOVE: The Pittsburgh Pirates today placed Bryan Reynolds on the 10-day injured list (retro to June 20) with low back inflammation…Right-handed pitcher Cody Bolton has been recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis…In addition, first baseman/designated hitter Ji Man Choi will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona.
MAKING A CONNECTION: The Pittsburgh Pirates, in partnership with Nike, unveiled their City Connect uniform today, which will be worn for the first time on Tuesday, June 27, as the Pirates take on the San Diego Padres at PNC Park…The Nike Pittsburgh Pirates City Connect Jersey will represent a Club — and a city — that’s proud of its past and excited for the future…Using an innovative, data-driven process, the design takes elements from the city’s steel industry, its three rivers and the checkerboard found in Pittsburgh’s flag, and transforms them into something new — a custom, geometric graphic across the top of the jersey.
K IS FOR KELLER: Mitch Keller comes into today ranked second in the National League (and fifth in all of MLB) with 108 strikeouts…The only National Leaguer with more punchouts coming into today is Atlanta’s Spencer Strider…Since his first double-digit strikeout game of the year on April 27, Keller’s 78 punchouts are the fourth-most in MLB behind Spencer Strider (87), Kevin Gausman (86) and Shohei Ohtani (79).
NO THANKS, JUST LOOKING: Mitch Keller ranks third in MLB with 283 called strikes this season according to Baseball Savant (teammate Rich Hill is fourth with 282)..The only two pitchers with more called strikes than Keller in MLB are Logan Webb (301) and Miles Mikolas (286).
SUCCESSION OF SOUTHPAWS: Tonight is the first of back-to-back games the Pirates are scheduled to face a left-handed starter (the first time to do that this season since May 7-8 against Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi and Colorado’s Kyle Freeland)… Pittsburgh has gone 11-10 in games started by opposing lefthanders this season…Coming into today, Rodolfo Castro ranks 10th in MLB with a .645 slugging percentage against southpaws while also ranking 14th with a .342 average.
MIAMI NICE: The Pirates have won 18 games at loanDepot park (previously Marlins Park) since the stadium opened in 2012…The 18 wins in Miami are tied with Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park for the Pirates’ second-most road victories against any non-NL Central opponent since 2012…Pittsburgh has won 21 games at both Denver’s Coors Field and San Francisco’s Oracle Park in that same span.
SETTING UP THE SERIES: This is the second straight year the Bucs and Fish will play a four-game series at loanDepot Park (the Pirates split the four-game series here last year from July 11-14)…Pittsburgh will close out the 2023 regular season against the Marlins at PNC Park from September 29 to October 1.
A CLASSIC MOMENT: David Bednar returns to Miami for the first time since helping the United States take home a silver medal during this year’s World Baseball Classic in March…Bednar went 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA (4.0ip/1er), five strikeouts, 0.75 WHIP and .214 batting average against during the tournament.
THE MEN BEHIND THE MASK: Pittsburgh’s catchers are one of three teams in MLB with seven Defensive Runs Saved according to FanGraphs…The only other teams with seven Defensive Runs Saved from their catchers are the Yankees and Mets.
STARTING PITCHER – 23 – RHP MITCH KELLER
MITCH KELLER: The 27-year-old righthander will make his 16th start of the season tonight…He lost a 5-0 decision (5.0ip/4r) in his last start Saturday at Milwaukee.
vs. MIAMI:1-0 in four career starts (16.2ip/6er)…Went 1-0 in two starts in 2022, allowing one run in 7.0 innings in a 5-1 win at Miami on 7/11 along with a no-decision (6.0ip/3er) in a 6-5 loss on 7/24 at PNC Park…He also gave up two runs in 2.0 innings before leaving his start on 6/4/21 at PNC Park due to a heat illness…Struck out three of the five batters he faced on 9/3/19 at PNC Park before leaving the game with a right wrist contusion after being struck by the ball on a lineout by Garrett Cooper.
MIAMI MARLINS NOTES:
No team release available.
