BRADENTON, Fla. -- Pittsburgh starting pitcher Mitch Keller watched as his third baseman made another strong play, retiring Orioles' star Jordan Westburg on a groundout to end the top of the fourth inning Monday night.
Since Westburg's bat ended halfway toward the pitcher's mound, Cedar Rapids Xavier product Keller retrieved the lumber and handed it to a batboy before walking slowly to the first-base dugout -- then received congratulations from teammates for his most recent spring training appearance.
Exhibition tune ups are becoming routine for the Cedar Rapids native, who made his Major League debut in May of 2019 for the Pirates. But this spring has a different feel for Keller, who become a father in January.
"Quinton was born January 22 in Cedar Rapids," said Keller, 28, standing by his locker in the back of the Pittsburgh clubhouse after his start Monday.
His wife since 2020, Clancy, was on hand for the game, along with Quinton, Keller's mother-in-law and one of Clancy's aunts. They watched as Keller pitched 3.1 innings and allowed four hits, four runs (three earned) with three walks as Baltimore won, 6-3, on a chilly -- by Florida standards -- and cloudy evening on the Gulf coast of Florida.
Keller threw 71 pitches -- 42 for strikes -- after lasting 3.2 innings and throwing 62 pitches in his previous start, on March 5 against Toronto. Against the Orioles, with a solid lineup of budding young stars, the Iowa product relied more on his changeup in this outing.
"Honestly, it feels like 50 percent (of the time) from the drastic change. I am using it a lot. I am super happy with it," Keller said. "I probably used it more to lefties and it's another weapon."
But Keller didn't rule out throwing his change to right-handed batters as well.
"I am going to try it at least," he said.
It was the longest outing, by pitches, this spring for Keller.
"I got a lot of good feel for the pitches and the work got a lot better as the game went along in what I need to do in my deliver to execute; a lot of good work," he said.
Keller even threw one cutter late in the outing against the Orioles, who were knocked out of the playoffs last season by the Royals.
"It was to (Jackson) Holliday, then he got a double down the line" to left field in the top of the fourth, Keller said.
The cutter, he said, may not be used as much this season if he relies more on the change up.
"For sure, like if I get in those 2-0 counts against lefties. I don't know the exact usage percentages; I had to be really perfect with it" in the past, he said.
The game began at 6:05 p.m. Eastern time on Monday at LECOM Park -- one of the rare night games Keller has pitched during spring training. During regular-season play, many games begin at 7:05 p.m. on the East Coast -- but Keller would have been happy to make an afternoon start in Florida.
"I already know my routine so it kind of throws everything off a little bit, honestly. I think it was my first night game here since I was in high Single-A," he said. "But it's all good."
In spring training, teams are allowed to take a starting pitcher out in the middle of an inning, replace him with a reliever, and then bring the starter back out to start the next inning. That helps cut down on the pitch count of the starter if he struggles in one inning, and that is what happened in the top of the second inning on Monday.
After allowing a two-run single to Daz Cameron and a walk to Dylan Carlson, Keller was replaced by reliever Jack Carey with one out in the frame. Carey allowed a single and got the final two outs of the inning, then Keller returned to pitch the third and fourth innings without allowing a run in those two frames.
"It was unfortunate that pitches got up there (in numbers). I would almost rather stay out there instead of coming and sitting down for almost a whole half inning and then going back out there," Keller said. "I get it -- we are doing it to save pitches and get work in but I would much rather stay out there."
It was the fourth outing of the spring for Keller, who was the Opening Day starter for the Pirates in 2023 and 2024.
He was drafted out of Xavier in the second round by the Pirates in 2014 and was a National League All-Star in 2023.
In late February of 2024, he signed a five-year, $77 million dollar contract extension with the Pirates. Keller then went 11-12 with an ERA of 4.25 in 31 starts last season, brining his MLB career numbers to 36-50 with an ERA of 4.59.
Now with another weapon -- the changeup -- Keller and fellow right-hander Paul Skenes, who had a memorable rookie season in 2024, give the Pirates two solid starters.
Keller used his change just 0.1 percent of the time, or 21 pitches, last year, according to MLB.com. He threw it nine times Monday against the Orioles -- bringing his spring total up to 29.
"I think the evolution of the changeup just continues to get better, which is going to be another weapon for him against left-handers," Pittsburgh Manager Derek Shelton told reporters late Monday night.
Keller told a Pittsburgh newspaper last month being father gives him a greater sense of purpose -- and another new-look to his 2025 season.