


The seven-inning gem that Orioles starter Tyler Wells delivered Saturday would normally be the best start of a series.
Not this weekend.
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Mitch Keller one-upped Wells on Sunday, striking out 13 across seven dominant innings to hand the Orioles a 4-0 loss.
Keller entered the game as one of the best starters in the National League, and he solidified his standing by shutting down an Orioles team that had won four straight games. The right-hander scattered four hits and didn’t walk a batter in front of a Mother’s Day crowd of 36,403.
Only Anthony Santander and Austin Hays avoided striking out against Keller, and Gunnar Henderson, Ryan Mountcastle and Kyle Stowers struck out three times apiece off the Pittsburgh starter. Baltimore could only muster two runners in scoring position against Keller, who lowered his ERA to 2.38.
Starting pitcher Kyle Gibson struggled but got through five innings while allowing seven hits, three walks and four runs. The Pirates (22-19) scored one run in the first and three in the third to provide Keller with more than enough offense.
While the Orioles couldn’t complete their third sweep of the season, the series victory is the club’s ninth out of their past 10. At 26-14, the Orioles have the second-best record in the American League. They had won 17 of their previous 23 games entering Sunday.
Baltimore’s bats showed a little life late in the game, as Cedric Mullins singled with one out in the eighth and went to third on a two-out double from Henderson. But Mountcastle struck out for his fourth time to squander the Orioles’ best scoring opportunity to that point.
The Orioles then got the first two runners of the ninth on base, but Stowers struck out a fourth time and James McCann also punched out — the 17th and final strikeout from a Baltimore batter. Adley Rutschman pinch-hit with two outs but popped out to end the game.
This story will be updated.
Angels at Orioles
Monday, 6:35 p.m.
TV: MASN
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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