Detroit Tigers right-hander Casey Mize is enjoying a season of validation, and he hopes to keep adding positive results when he opposes Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller on Tuesday night in Pittsburgh.
Mize (9-3, 3.15 ERA) is coming off his first All-Star selection and is finally having the season Detroit hoped to see when it selected him with the first overall pick of the 2018 draft out of Auburn.
After posting a 7-9 record with a 3.71 ERA in his first full season in the majors in 2021, Mize missed most of the 2022 season and all of 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Mize struggled again in his comeback season a year ago, finishing 2-6 with a 4.49 ERA in 22 appearances (20 starts).
So far this season, Mize has been a different pitcher, striking out 77 and walking 22 batters in 88 2/3 innings.
“It’s been a long journey,” Mize said last week. “Still have a long way to go, but I feel like this is pretty validating of some hard work and some tough times turning into success and good times.”
Mize, however, preceded his All-Star appearance with his worst performance of this season when he allowed six runs on six hits over three innings against the Seattle Mariners on July 12. He struck out four and walked one in a 15-7 loss.
Mize, who allowed one run in two-thirds of an inning in the All-Star Game, is 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA in two career starts against the Pirates. He beat Pittsburgh on June 17, when he tossed six innings and yielded three runs (two earned).
If Mize can recapture his form, it would be a plus for the Tigers, who find themselves in the midst of their worst stretch of the season. Detroit snapped a six-game losing streak on Sunday by defeating the host Texas Rangers, but the Tigers were blanked 3-0 by the Pirates on Monday in an effort led by Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes.
The Tigers are in an offensive funk, as they have scored just three runs total in four games since the All-Star break. In addition, it was unclear if shortstop Javier Baez, who sat out on Monday because of left shoulder soreness, would be available on Tuesday.
Pittsburgh earned only its second win in 13 games on Monday. Before Skenes led the Pirates to victory, Keller was the only other pitcher to help his team win during that stretch.
Keller (3-10, 3.48 ERA) didn’t factor in the decision, but he gave up one run on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts over six innings to help Pittsburgh beat the Minnesota Twins 2-1 on July 13. That was the Pirates’ lone victory in their nine-game road trip prior to the All-Star break.
Keller, who is 1-1 with a 3.67 ERA in five career starts against the Tigers, has put together some of his best starts of the season in recent weeks. He is 2-0 with a 1.44 ERA over his past four outings (25 innings).
Similar to Skenes, Keller has been hurt by lack of run support. The Pirates enter the Tuesday game averaging 2.54 runs per nine innings when Keller starts, which ranks the worst among regular starting pitchers in the National League, per Screwball.ai.
The recent surge has increased contending clubs’ interest in Keller as the July 31 trade deadline approaches.
“Just trying to go as deep as I can and keep the pressure off the bullpen and set us up to win games,” Keller said. “That’s really all I’m trying to do is to be efficient and cover innings.”
–Field Level Media
