Mitch Keller makes strong start but Blue Jays pound Pirates for 3 homers in spring opener

BRADENTON, Fla. — Mitch Keller focused on filling up the strike zone and fanned the first batter he faced in his first start of spring training, getting leadoff batter Cavan Biggio to go down swinging.

“It’s always good to get one,” Keller said, “especially the first guy of spring.”

The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander tossed two scoreless innings, putting himself in position to start on Opening Day, and Rodolfo Castro hit a grand slam in the Grapefruit League opener Saturday at LECOM Park. The Toronto Blue Jays, however, pounded the Pirates’ bullpen for three home runs in a 9-7 win Saturday.

Keller recorded two strikeouts and allowed one hit, a single by Santiago Espinal. Keller appears on track to start the season opener on March 30 at Cincinnati, especially after an efficient, 22-pitch outing.

“I felt really good,” Keller said. “It’s always good to get out there and face a different color jersey rather than our own guys. Just takes the intensity (up) a little bit more. So yes, it’s great to be back out there.”

The game marked the Pirates’ first game under the MLB rule changes designed to improve the pace of play, which includes a pitch clock, bigger bases and a ban on shifts. Roansy Contreras and Jarlin Garcia were called for pitch clock violations, which resulted in an automatic ball in the batter’s count.

Keller said he didn’t notice much of a difference, except when Pirates pitching coach Oscar Marin reminded him of disengagement rules after he covered first base on a ground ball.

“I noticed on the way back like, (shoot), I only have like 10 seconds left,” Keller said. “Trying to get your breath as much as possible. Oscar hit me up after like, ‘Yo, you do get one disengagement. That’d be the time to kind of catch your breath.’ But it didn’t affect anything after that. That was my notice time of, ‘We have a pitch clock, so I can’t take my time. I have to get back on the mound.’ ”

Blue Jays starter Yusei Kikuchi fanned five batters, including Andrew McCutchen in his first at-bat for the Pirates at LECOM Park since 2017, and struck out the side in the second inning.

Toronto took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Pirates right fielder Connor Joe misplayed an Otto Lopez fly ball for a triple, and Nathan Lukes followed with a sacrifice fly off Contreras.

The Pirates made it 4-1 on Castro’s 397-foot grand slam in the third inning off former Pirates pitcher Zach Thompson, who walked Joe and Ji Hwan Bae and gave up a single to Oneil Cruz to load the bases.

The Blue Jays tied it in the fourth, when All-Star closer David Bednar gave up two home runs. The first was a 432-foot blast to center by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to cut it to 4-3, and Addison Barger tied it with a solo shot.

Espinal’s two-run homer off Garcia gave the Blue Jays a 6-4 lead, but Liover Peguero hit a bases-loaded single to cut it to 6-5. Toronto added three more runs in the seventh off Duane Underwood Jr., only two of which were earned after a Cal Mitchell error in right field.

Henry Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, cut it to 9-7 with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center to score Peguero in the eighth.