Pirates' Mitch Keller gives up home run, records strikeout in All-Star debut

In an All-Star Game defined by a pair of catches at the wall in the first inning, Mitch Keller had no such luck.

The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander gave up the game’s first run on a solo homer by Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz to give the American League a 1-0 lead over the National League on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.

The AL strikes first!

Yandy Díaz with a solo shot in the 2nd! @RaysBaseball pic.twitter.com/6paRKhXkaN

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 12, 2023

Keller replaced National League starter Zac Gallen of Arizona in the second inning and got Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager to line out to third. Diaz followed by sending an 0-1 sweeper over the middle of the plate 383 feet and over the left-field fence. Keller recovered by striking out Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia on a 1-2 sweeper low and away, then got Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays to ground out to second to end the inning.

Keller threw eight of his 11 pitches for strikes.

Mitch's first strikeout as an All-Star. pic.twitter.com/KphLS8URCF

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 12, 2023

The 27-year-old Keller, who is 9-4 with a 3.33 ERA, made his first All-Star appearance. He was joined on the National League team by Pirates closer David Bednar and Pirates manager Derek Shelton, who was named to the coaching staff of Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson.

The game started with former Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees becoming the beneficiary of spectacular back-to-back catches by Garcia to rob Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr. of an extra-base hit in right and Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena to steal one from Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers in left.

Another former Pirate, Colorado Rockies catcher Elias Diaz, provided the heroics with a game-winning, two-run homer off Baltimore’s Felix Bautista in the eighth inning for a 3-2 lead. Thomson opted for Philadelphia Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel over Bednar in the bottom of the ninth to close out the National League’s first win since 2012.