Mitch Keller maintains a torrid May by keeping Atlanta in check in Pittsburgh’s 4-1 win over the Braves

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mitch Keller pitched the seventh inning, Nick Gonzales had an RBI double and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1 on Saturday.

Keller (6-3) held Atlanta in check for 6 2/3 innings to win his fourth straight start. The right-hander allowed one run on six hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Keller is 4-0 with a 1.30 ERA in four starts in May and has worked at least five innings in each of his last 42 starts, the longest active streak in the majors.

Bryan Reynolds had two hits for Pittsburgh, including a run-scoring single in the seventh that gave the Pirates some breathing room on the day they celebrated the 45th anniversary of the team’s 1979 World Series title.

Several players from that club – including Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven, reliever Kent Tekeulve and two-time National League MVP Dave Parker – were honored before the first pitch.

Nick Gonzales doubled and scored for the Pirates. The second baseman, a first-round pick in the 2020 draft, is hitting .333 (15-for-45) with 12 RBIs over his last 12 games.

Pittsburgh’s bullpen, which struggled in two late collapses against San Francisco earlier in the week, avoided a collapse against the Braves. Colin Holderman struck out four of the five batters he faced after replacing Keller. David Bednar induced Ronald Acuna Jr. into a game-ending fielder’s choice with two runs in the ninth to make his 11th save.

Atlanta’s Reynaldo López (2-2) hasn’t been as sharp as he has been in the best two months of his nine-year career. The right-hander – who began the day with a 1.54 ERA, third-lowest in the majors – retired the Pirates in order only once and was hit by the bottom half of the lineup for 4 2/3 mediocre innings.

The Braves offense managed only one extra base hit against Keller, an Ozzie Albies double in the first. Jarred Kelenic provided an RBI single in the fourth, but Atlanta did nothing else while suffering a second straight loss.

Pittsburgh’s Jared Triolo led off the third with a double and scored on an RBI single by Ji Hwan Bae. López walked Oneil Cruz to start the fourth and the towering 6-foot-7 shortstop then scored from first by getting a great read of Gonzales’ double off the 21-foot Clemente wall to right. Gonzales then gave the Pirates a 3-1 lead when he sprinted home on Olivares’ sacrifice fly to left.

López exited after a 30-minute rain delay halted the end of the fifth. He allowed three runs, two earned on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings as his ERA reached 1.75.

TRAINERS ROOM

Pirates: 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes (back) has returned to full baseball activities. It is unclear whether the Gold Glove winner, who has been out since May 7, will need a rehab assignment before returning. … C Jason Delay (knee) is expected to begin a rehab stint at Triple-A Indianapolis next week.

FOLLOWING

The series ends Sunday when Atlanta’s Chris Sale (7-1, 2.22 ERA) earns his seventh win in as many starts. Martín Pérez (1-3, 4.80), winless since April 4, gets the nod for Pittsburgh.

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