Pirates Preview: Keller Looks for Third Straight Win, Bucs Look to Snap Skid

Danny Demilio |

Jul 8, 2025

Mitch Keller, Pittsburgh Pirates — Photo provided by Matt Lynch

The Pittsburgh Pirates snapped a 30-inning scoreless drought but were defeated 9-3 by the Kansas City Royals on Monday to fall to 0-4 on their road trip.

Tommy Pham hit a two-run home run to give the Pirates a brief lead, but the Royals responded with eight unanswered runs powered by four homers.

The Pirates (38-54) will try and halt their skid against the Royals (44-48) in the second game of the series on Tuesday night.

First pitch is set for 7:40 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on SportsNet Pittsburgh and 93.7 The Fan.

Weather

Mostly cloudy skies with temperatures in the upper 80s. Winds NE at 5-6 mph.

RHP Mitch Keller (3-10, 3.64 ERA) Will Start For the Pirates

Keller delivered one of his best starts of the season when he blanked the St. Louis Cardinals across 7.0 innings in his last start on Wednesday.

It was the second start in a row in which Keller earned a win. He had gone 0-10 in 15 starts after winning his season debut prior to his last two wins.

Over his last four starts, Keller is 2-1 with a 1.88 ERA and has been charged with two earned runs or fewer in each of those.

Keller is 0-2 with a 7.56 ERA in two previous starts against Kansas City.

RHP Seth Lugo (6-5, 2.65 ERA) Will Start For the Royals

Lugo has dominated of late and that continued in his last start, when he held the Seattle Mariners to one run in 6.1 innings.

In six starts since the beginning of June, the veteran righty has a miniscule 1.29 ERA and has only allowed 22 hits in 35 innings.

Lugo ranks seventh in the American League in ERA, eighth in batting average against (.216) and ninth in WHIP (1.09). Since the start of June, only the Philadelphia Phillies’ Zack Wheeler (0.68) has a lower ERA than him.

Lugo has made 12 appearances but only two starts against Pittsburgh in his career and is 0-2 with a 4.01 ERA.

Royals Hitters vs. Keller

Jonathan India: 8 for 18, two doubles, one home run, one RBI, eight walks, two strikeouts
Mark Canha: 2 for 8, two strikeouts
Salvador Perez: 1 for 5, one double
Maikel Garcia: 1 for 3, one double, one RBI
Bobby Witt Jr.: 1 for 2, one home run, two RBI

Pirates Hitters vs. Lugo

Tommy Pham: 7 for 15, two doubles, two RBI, three strikeouts
Andrew McCutchen: 2 for 11, one walk, four strikeouts
Bryan Reynolds: 2 for 6, one home run, one RBI, one walk, one strikeout
Adam Frazier: 0 for 4
Henry Davis: 0 for 3, one strikeout
Isiah Kiner-Falefa: 0 for 3

Tidbits

Tommy Pham’s two run home run in the third inning gave the Pirates their first runs since the eighth inning of Wednesday’s win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Pirates’ pitchers surrendered four home runs in Monday’s loss. The Royals had not hit multiple home runs at Kaufman Stadium yet this season and entered play with a league-low 15 homers at home.
Bryan Reynolds snapped a lengthy 0-for-20 skid with a base hit in the fourth.