Fifth inning dooms Mitch Keller in Pirates' 10-4 loss to Rockies

Colin Beazley, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on May 13, 2026

Published in Baseball

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PITTSBURGH — Mitch Keller couldn’t have had a better four innings. It would have been tough to have had a worse fifth.

Keller retired the first 12 batters he faced before allowing six runs in the fifth inning, sending the Pirates to a 10-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night at PNC Park. The game was delayed 26 minutes due to brief showers before first pitch.

The Rockies started the inning with five consecutive hits, including RBI singles from Kyle Karros and Ezequiel Tovar and an RBI double from Jake McCarthy. But the big hit was a two-out, three-run homer from Mickey Moniak, a blast that brought in the deciding runs.

Pirates right-hander Brandan Bidois made his major league debut in the eighth inning and allowed a solo homer to TJ Rumfield.

The Pirates got out to a 3-0 lead against Rockies lefty Jose Quintana in the first three innings, appearing as if they could cruise to a series victory and a chance at a sweep Thursday.

They scored their first two runs on a smart baseball play. With the bases loaded and two outs, Henry Davis had a hard-hit grounder that Karros fielded with a dive at third. Karros threw to second and would have beaten Brandon Lowe to the bag if he had slid, but Lowe beat the throw by running through the base to third, allowing the first run to score. Nick Gonzales broke for home, representing the second run and got into a rundown and would have been out, but ran into Quintana and scored via obstruction.

Konnor Griffin doubled in the third and scored on Bryan Reynolds’ opposite-field single.

But one bad inning for Keller proved decisive. He left too many pitches down the middle, including a low change-up that Moniak hit deep into the right-field bleachers.

Justin Lawrence allowed three unearned runs in the ninth, in part because of his own throwing error. He’s allowed runs in three of his last four outings.

It was over when …

… Rumfield homered off Bidois. The Pirates had gotten within two on Ryan O’Hearn’s solo homer, but didn’t seem likely to get three runs back late.

On the mound

Keller allowed six runs on seven hits and a walk in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out three.

The Rockies left just one runner on base and went 4 for 7 with runners in scoring position.

At the plate

O’Hearn went 2 for 4, adding a double in the second and scoring twice. He was four for his last 29 (.138) in his last eight games entering Wednesday.

The Pirates used a different lineup against the lefty Quintana, hitting Griffin second and starting Lowe, but having him hit seventh. While it didn’t result in a win, offensive results were better than in the Pirates’ last two outings against left-handers.

Most valuable player

Moniak went 2 for 4, adding a double in the eighth off Bidois. He was picked off at third when Henry Davis caught him too far off the bag.

Up next

The Pirates and Rockies will play the deciding third game at 12:35 p.m. Thursday. Right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski (2-3, 4.50 ERA) will throw for the Pirates against right-hander Chase Dollander (3-2, 3.35).