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Pirates Preview: Luis Ortiz to Make Season Debut

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Pittsburgh Pirates- Luis Ortiz

The Pittsburgh Pirates (21-15) finally snapped their seven-game losing streak Monday night, after a masterclass effort from Mitch Keller against the Colorado Rockies (14-22)

Keller decided to take things into his own hands and pitched a complete game shutout with eight Ks, one walk, and only four hits given up.

Keller had thrown just over 100 pitches at 103 and threw an incredible amount of strikes at 77. When we spoke with Derek Shelton earlier in the season, the message from day one was to fill up the strike zone, and Keller did just that.

As a result, the Pirates won 2-0 and maintain their slim lead in the N.L. Central.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. You can watch all of the action on AT&T Sportsnet, or listen to the game on the Pirates radio station, 93.7 The Fan.

Weather

You should expect a mostly sunny day on the North Shore, with temperatures around 70 degrees at first pitch. There will be a slight wind between 6-9 mph throughout the contest blowing northwest

The Pirates will send out RHP Luis Ortiz (Season Debut)

It is official now; the Pirates will have Ortiz start Tuesday night, which marks his season debut.

Ortiz has been in Triple-A Indianapolis since spring training ended and has put up good numbers to begin the year with a 2-1 record and an ERA of 2.23.

From the games I’ve seen of Ortiz in Triple-A, it seems to me that his changeup has come along, but the four-seam swing and miss still need some work as he matures.

Ortiz’s last start was on May 5 against the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit’s Triple-A), and he pitched three innings of shutout ball, one hit, no walks, and three strikeouts.

Ortiz has never faced the Rockies.

The Rockies will send out RHP Connor Seabold (0-0, 5.30 ERA).

Seabold has made eight appearances in 2023 but made his first start on the season in his last game on May 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Seabold, in his first start since Sept. 26 of 2022, went five innings, while giving up seven hits, three earned runs, no walks, and struck out one.

Seabold technically has four pitches, but he will stick to mainly two with a four-seam (56.3%), and a slider (32.3%). In addition, the righty will toss a changeup (11%) and rarely throw a curveball (1.5%).

His best pitch is by far his slider, with an opposing average of .222 and an average exit velocity of 84.4 mph. The Pirates will have to sit back and wait for the four-seam, as opponents hit an average of .293 with an average exit velocity of 91.4 mph.

Seabold has faced the Pirates once (no starts) and holds a record of 0-0 with an ERA of 0.00 in 2.1 innings pitched. In addition, Seabold has never played at PNC Park.

Interesting Batting Match Ups

Rockies Hitters

  • No one has faced Ortiz before on the Rockies’ roster

Pirates Hitters

  • Ji-Hwan Bae: 1-1 against Seabold

Tidbits

  • Monday’s game time was a total of an hour and 55 minutes which is the shortest at PNC Park since an hour and 51-minute contest on April 13 against the San Fransico Giants in 2007.
  • In addition, the fastest nine-inning game ever at PNC Park was an hour and 47 minutes on Aug. 25, 2004, against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
  • Keller is one of seven Pirates’ pitchers since 2007 to throw a complete game shutout. The last Pirate to do it was Jameson Tailon on April 8, 2018, against the Cincinnati Reds.

Links

Keller’s Shutout Means More Than Just Snapping Pittsburgh Pirates’ Skid

Pittsburgh Pirates Call Up Chris Owings, Place Luis Ortiz on Taxi Squad

From Almost Retiring to Thriving, Jason Delay Making Most of Opportunity

Pittsburgh Pirates Staff and Players See Slump as a Growing Opportunity (+)

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