Amid a troubling pattern of diminished second-half production, Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller looked like his first-half self in Tuesday's win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Keller racked up a season-high nine strikeouts and recorded his first quality start since July 22. He's now up to 16 quality starts this season, which is tied for the ninth-most in baseball.
Keller's ERA through seven games since the All-Star break is still an alarmingly high 7.59, compared to a 3.48 ERA through 20 starts before the break. But if he continues to build upon a strong outing like Tuesday's, it could go a long way toward making him a prime offseason trade candidate.