PITTSBURGH- Mitch Keller had a great trip Friday night. The only disadvantage is the Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star right-hander took a difficult enabled just 2 runs in 52/3 innings as Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run home run in the 3rd inning to open up the scoring. That was enough to pin Keller with his 4th straight loss, though, as the Pirates dropped 2-1 to the Phillies at PNC Park in the opener of a three-game Phillies' Zack Wheeler was outstanding with 11 strikeouts in 62/3 innings of one-run round."Pitchers battles are always fun, " Keller said. "It a fast video game and youre prepared to go and you need to be available and regurgitate nos. Every pitch is extreme and each time there a runner on base, it raised a little bit more to leave it due to the fact that you know the person beyond is not allowing way too much take place."Your web browser does not support HTML5 video tag. Click here to check out original assetFriday marked Keller's last scheduled begin in July. He ends up the month 0-4 with a 6.28 ERA in 5 begins regardless of pitching in the first All-Star Game of his occupation on July 11 in , Keller was far better than in his initial two beginnings coming out of the All-Star break. He was identified for eight runs in six innings by the Guardians on July 18 then surrendered 6 runs in 5 innings to the Angels 5 days Friday, Keller permitted six hits, struck out 8 and walked needed a good one after two harsh ones, " Keller said. "Yeah, simply really felt extra in a groove, attacked the zone a great deal much better. And yeah, just was able to complete better."I believe a great deal of it just boils down to execution. I think the previous couple begins, I didnt carry out some pitches and those were the ones I obtained taken benefit of. It just implementation, just maintaining them mindful of the circumstance and where were at and not letting certain individuals adjust and inevitably performing the Marsh led off the Phillies' third with a stroll. One out later on, Schwarber struck a 406-foot blast to the bullpens in facility Phillies filled the bases in the fourth on 3 straight one-out singles, yet Keller avoided better difficulty by starting out Marsh and obtaining Jake Cave to foul , the Pirates were limited to one run and three hits by Wheeler. Pirates supervisor Derek Shelton admired the right-hander for stymying his group's crime."That may have been just as good as we have actually seen this year on the pile, " Shelton stated. "He remained in control. Performing all his pitches. Velocity was up. Heater to all quadrants. He was truly excellent."The Pirates got their only run in the fourth on Ji Man Choi's one-out RBI double. Nevertheless, they end up leaving joggers on 2nd and the eighth, the Pirates had joggers on very first and 2nd Phillies Jerseys, yet Bryan Reynolds grounded right into an inning-ending dual more detailed Craig Kimbrel then pitched a scoreless nine, working around a two-out walk to Henry Davis, to maintain the one-run lead and notch his 17th Pirates have actually currently alternated victories and losses in their last 8 video games complying with a five-game losing streak."We had a pair opportunities that we did not maximize, " Shelton claimed.