Bryce Elder and fellow right-hander Mitch Keller are seeking answers to their recent woes on the mound.
Their quests will continue on Thursday afternoon when they square off as Keller’s Pittsburgh Pirates host Elder’s Atlanta Braves in the decisive contest of their three-game series.
The Pirates posted a 12-4 victory in the series opener on Tuesday before the Braves responded with a 3-0 win on Wednesday.
Keller (6-6, 5.02 ERA) has gone from being a reliable presence in the middle of the Pittsburgh rotation to major struggles since the end of May. He has a 1-4 record and 7.50 ERA over his past seven starts, allowing 30 earned runs over 36 innings.
Meanwhile, Elder (5-6, 4.01 ERA) started June in solid form but finished the month with three consecutive poor outings.
In the hopes of getting him back on track and perhaps combatting some potential midseason fatigue, the Braves skipped Elder’s spot in the rotation last week against the New York Mets. His velocity dropped in his most recent outing June 27 against the San Francisco Giants, when he allowed five runs on five hits, including two home runs, over four innings in a 5-0 loss.
Over his past three starts, Elder’s ERA has dropped from 2.66 to 4.01, and he has allowed 19 earned runs over 14 innings. He’s allowed five or more earned runs in each of those starts.
The silver lining for Elder could be a rematch with the Pirates.
Although Elder is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in four career starts against Pittsburgh, his last quality start before his recent struggles came against the Pirates on June 7 in Atlanta. He gave up two runs on two hits, including a home run, and two walks while striking out four over six innings in his team’s 3-2 victory.
“When I have a bad (start), it’s always terrible,” Elder said. “But it’s about getting back on the horse and figuring out how to rattle off six, seven or eight good ones again.”
Keller did not have success the last time he faced the Braves.
He allowed six runs on seven hits, including one home run, and three walks over 4 2/3 innings on June 5 at Atlanta in a 6-3 defeat. He is 1-4 with a 7.85 ERA in eight career starts against the Braves.
In his most recent start, Keller allowed a season-high three home runs and five runs overall on eight hits over six innings Friday in a 9-5 loss at Washington. He has allowed at least five runs in seven starts this season, with five of those times coming within his past seven starts.
“We have to keep working with (Keller),” Pirates manager Don Kelly said, “and get him back to what he’s capable of doing.”
Pittsburgh has won three of Keller’s past seven starts despite his struggles thanks to its offense consistently generating runs. The Pirates were shut out for the eighth time this season on Wednesday but scored five or more runs over their previous six games.
Pittsburgh lost another position player to injury after catcher Endy Rodriguez (left glute strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday. The Pirates recalled catcher Rafael Flores Jr. from Triple-A Indianapolis.
The Braves also made a roster move on Wednesday as they optioned left-handed pitcher Connor Thomas to Triple-A Gwinnett and recalled right-handed pitcher Victor Mederos from Triple-A.
–Field Level Media
