Keller hits 200 strikeouts milestone, and knows he didn't get there alone

CHICAGO -- Wednesday night at Wrigley Field was hardly Mitch Keller's best start of the season. In fact, 5 2/3 innings and seven earned runs is statistically one of his worst this year.

But postgame, he was all smiles. It's safe to assume that it was largely due to the Pirates having an offensive explosion against the Cubs, tallying a baker's dozen worth of runs in a 13-7 win. It's also safe to assume that the ball in his locker has something to do with it too. That ball was his 200th strikeout of the season, a sinker that caught the outside part of the plate that Dansby Swanson watched go by:

The story of Keller's breakout has been told many a time by this point. How he rediscovered his velocity at Tread Athletics before the start of last season. How it was in these friendly confines that he made his first appearance as a reliever, a rock bottom of his career that served as a firm foundation to build from. 

And 200 strikeouts is a season milestone to affirm again how far he's come.

"It means a lot," Keller said, a warm smile across his face. "A lot of hard work. Perseverance, man. Up and down through my career and through this year as well. A lot of good things. A lot of good coaching."

Keller is now in rarified air for right-handed strikeout pitchers. In Pirates history, just three right-handed pitchers have ever struck out that many: Gerrit Cole in 2015 (202) and A.J. Burnett in 2013 (209). Keller is now tied with Cole for second-most for a right-hander (southpaw Bob Veale has the most with 276 in 1965), and with at least one start left on the docket, he has a chance to set the record. And unlike Cole and Burnett, two pitchers whose calling card for most of their career was getting strikeouts, Keller's punchouts almost seem secondary. That they manifest from what he does on the mound.

"He is a pitcher with really good stuff where the strikeouts are a result of the good stuff, not that he's going out, searching out punchouts," Derek Shelton said.

A little help also can lead to more strikeouts, too. Keller knows he didn't do it alone, and made sure to give plenty of love to his catchers. 

"Having [Austin] Hedges there to start us off, then [Jason] Delay, then Endy [Rodríguez]. Those guys have been awesome back there with pitch calling, game planning. There’s a lot more than me just throwing the ball that goes into it. It’s a pretty cool accomplishment for me, but also for everybody else involved in that."

Delay in particular has been a boost for Keller. Even with this off outing, the duo have now been a battery 10 games this season, producing a 2.37 ERA, a .219 opponent's average and 68 strikeouts over 64 2/3 innings.

"I don't think his success has a lot to do with me," Delay was telling me. "I know he has that low ERA, but he's a phenomenal pitcher."

The duo had success a year ago (Keller's 2.67 ERA throwing to Delay was the lowest of the five catchers he worked with), but there's been plenty of maturation on both sides. Delay has learned to speak up more in prep meetings and in big spots due to encouragement from Hedges and feeling more comfortable now that he's not a rookie. In Minnesota last month, Keller found himself in a bases loaded jam and expected Delay to tell him to go for the double play to minimize the damage. Instead, Delay said they should go for strikeouts, and with that boost in confidence, Keller escaped the inning unscathed. 

Keller's success isn't dependent on Delay, but there's an obvious connection. In April, Delay caught Keller in Boston while Hedges was on the injured list. It was a gem, and Hedges jokingly bemoaned that he would never get to catch the Pirates' All-Star again.

"I wish I knew why [we work so well together]," Delay said. "We're good friends and I think I understand him. When he needs that extra push, when he needs calmed down. We have a very good comfort level with him."

Delay had to play the psychologist role in the fifth inning Wednesday. Keller was spotted a sizable lead after the Pirates batted around in a seven-run fourth, which included the first five hitters recording hits before Joshua Palacios capped the inning with a three-run blast to center field. Things went sideways in the fifth though, as Keller loaded the bases and Ian Happ delivered the big Cubs hit of the night, a grand slam into the right-center bleachers off a 95 mph fastball.

Cody Bellinger followed with a double off of the wall, after which Delay went on the mound for a talk. Keller regrouped, got Swanson to strike out and Seiya Suzuki to bounce out to end the inning. The Pirates would get two runs back the next frame, with Connor Joe delivering a home run to add some breathing room.

As a result, Keller got another chance in the sixth. Why did Shelton trot him back out?

"Because of the fact that I trust him," he answered. "He's warranted that trust with how he's pitched this year."

The next question for Keller is will he be able to achieve his final personal goal for this season: 200 innings pitched. He's currently at 188 1/3. The Pirates have 10 games remaining over the final 11 days of the season. Keller has been operating under a five-day rest cycle for several weeks now to manage his workload as he ventures into uncharted inning territory. If the Pirates stick to that strict five rest day schedule, he only has one start remaining. If they are willing to bend the rules a bit and go back to his normal four off-days between starts, he has a really good chance of hitting 200.

"For someone to hit 200 innings means you were going out there and covering all your innings and making all your starts and really logging some good innings for the team," Keller said, explaining the importance of his preseason goal.

Until then, 200 strikeouts is going to have to stand on its own. And if that's all Keller gets, it's quite the consolation prize.

"It definitely means a lot," Keller said. "A lot of hard work and perseverance. Even going back to last year, if you told me I’d be in this spot, I’d probably laugh and never believe you. Just a lot of people in my corner that keep pushing me and keep believing in me and keep going. I’m just glad I could do it and finish out the year strong."

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THE HIGHLIGHTS

THE INJURIES

• 60-day injured list: SS Oneil Cruz (ankle), RHP JT Brubaker (elbow), LHP Jarlin Garcia (elbow), RHP Max Kranick (elbow), INF Tucupita Marcano (knee), LHP Angel Perdomo (elbow), RHP Vince Velasquez (elbow), DH/OF Andrew McCutchen (Achilles)

THE LINEUPS

Shelton's card:

1. Joshua Palacios, RF
2. Bryan Reynolds, LF
3. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
4. Connor Joe, 1B
5. Jack Suwinski, CF
6. Jared Triolo, 2B
7. Henry Davis, DH
8. Liover Peguero, SS
9. Jason Delay, C

And for David Ross' Cubs:

1. Mike Tauchman, CF
2. Nico Hoerner, 2B
3. Ian Happ, LF
4. Cody Bellinger, 1B
5. Dansby Swanson,SS
6. Seiya Suzuki, RF
7. Christopher Morel, DH
8. Yan Gomes, C
9. Miles Mastrobuoni, 3B

THE SCHEDULE

The Pirates will try to take their final series with the Cubs Thursday when Johan Oviedo (8-14, 4.27) squares off against Kyle Hendricks (6-7, 3.77). First pitch is set for 7:40 p.m. Eastern. I'll have you covered and then make the trip south to Cincinnati Friday.

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