Two starts ago, I wrote that I Believe in Mitch Keller.
That was after five shutout innings, where Keller struck out six and walked one.
It wasn’t Keller’s best start of the year. It was just his best start in months.
If we use Game Score as a reference, Keller had a 61 in that August 20th start. He had three previous 60+ game score starts. The most recent, prior to August 20th, was on May 29th. That start was followed by five straight sub-50 MLB game scores, and almost two months in Triple-A.
Keller has followed up his dominant outings with some of his worst starts. His average game score following 60+ games has been 21. Keller has five outings this year with a game score below 30. Four of those outings followed game scores north of 50.
We’ve seen a few really solid outings from Keller this year, and they are always followed by one of his worst starts.
For example, in the start after that August 20th start, Keller gave up seven earned runs in 5.1 innings.
Keller bounced back last night with his best start of the season. He threw six shutout innings, with no walks and eight strikeouts, for a game score of 71.
So, is another one of his worst outings of the year due up next?
I still believe in Mitch Keller. He’s shown the ability to dominate in the majors. He just hasn’t done it consistently.
Yet.
We’ll see if he can go two in a row next time out.
Daily Links
**Prospect Watch: Quinn Priester Throws Six Shutout Innings
**More Greensboro Splits: The Guns of August
**Pirates Recall Phillip Evans, Option Max Kranick to Indianapolis
**Cubs Walk-Off Pirates, 6-5 Erasing Strong Mitch Keller Start
**Game Recap: Pirates Stumble, Bumble Their Way to Extra Inning Loss
**Card of the Day: 1968 Bazooka Bob Veale
**This Date in Pittsburgh Pirates History: September 2nd, Pirates Part Ways with Bob Veale
