PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pirates starter Mitch Keller was cruising, taking a perfect game into the fifth inning before giving up five straight hits and then later a three-run home run as Colorado wins 10-4 Wednesday night at PNC Park.

“That loss is on me, everyone else played well,” Keller said. “I played well until that inning, just disaster inning.”

Keller said he didn’t really change the game plan or anything. He was just going with what was working, but as he put it ‘I guess they made the adjustment’.

Pirates manager Don Kelly said he wasn’t immediately sure what changed with Keller. He was going to go back and review saying they put some good swings on some and found some holes.

Keller finished with 5.2 innings, 7 hits, 6 runs, a walk and 3 strikeouts. Because of that inning, his season ERA jumped from 2.87 to 3.59.

1st Aussie

Called up on Tuesday, right-handed reliever Brandan Bidois made his MLB debut, and the first Australian ever to pitch for the Pirates. Admitting to nerves, saying his heart dropped and sunk every time the bullpen phone rang, the 24-year-old righty gave up a run on a home run in an inning of work.

“I was just concerned about throwing strikes, filling up the zone, giving us a chance, and I think I did a pretty good job of that,” Bidois said. “I was tense. I’m going to come back and I’m going to go out there and do the same thing again for a different result.”

Because he didn’t pitch on Tuesday and a short rain delay, his mother was able to make it from Brisbane, Australia to see her son pitch.

“It’s hard with 24-hour notice going to the big leagues when you’re living on the other side of the world,” Bidois explained. “You just have to scramble. But now that that’s all out of the way, that was my first time seeing her in probably, I don’t know, over two years. It was a pretty special moment to be able to be on the field with her before coming in.”

Wild play

For a split-second it appeared Jose Quintana was going to get out of a big jam in the second inning. Bases loaded with two outs, Colorado third baseman Kyle Karros dove to stop a line drive, one-hopper by Henry Davis, got to his knees and threw to second to try to get a force to end the inning. The runner, Brandon Lowe, was ruled safe scoring Ryan O’Hearn. Lowe kept running, forcing Nick Gonzales into a rundown between third and home, during the play, Quintana interfered in the baseline allowing Gonzales to score to make it 2-0.

The Rockies did not challenge the play at second, it appeared on replay the initial play could have been overturned saving Colorado both runs.

Jared Jones returned

After throwing four scoreless innings with the AA Altoona Curve, Jared Jones returned to Pittsburgh Wednesday to be with the team and throw a bullpen session or two. Jones may only have one more rehab assignment before being activated (earliest is May 25).

So far 10 innings, 8 hits, one run, 0.90 ERA, 11 strikeouts, 1 walk, 0.90 WHIP in starts with A Bradenton, the Curve and AAA Indianapolis.

“Yeah, it sounds really good,” Kelly said of the reports about Jones. “He’ll be around the next few days before he goes back for his next outing. Everything looked great and talking to him today, he feels like he’s in a really good slot.”

Kelly confirmed long-term, Jones will be a starter for the Pirates.

Up Next

Final game of the series is Thursday afternoon at 12:35p with RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (2-3, 4.50 ERA) against Rockies RHP Chase Dollander (3-2, 3.35 ERA). The North Shore Tavern Leadoff Show with Paul Alexander starts at 11:35a on 100.1 FM/AM 1020 KDKA.