Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller struggled to find the plate Tuesday, issuing three walks and a wild pitch during an abbreviated start against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Keller hit George Springer, the first batter he faced, with a pitch high and inside, and it only got worse from there. He got roughed up for five earned runs on seven hits in just 3 1/3 innings in the Pirates' 7-3 loss, continuing a rather unsettling trend of poor performance in the second half of the season. In six starts since the All-Star break, Keller has gone 2-2 with an 8.