The Pirates drop to .500 yet again as they lose 10-5 to the Braves and drop the series. The idea of dropping this series seemed inexplicable at 8 PM last night, but the team continues to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Mitch Keller got beat up badly and was removed from the game after 3 innings, and Dennis Santana ensured that the spirited comeback was for nothing as he implodes in the 9th yet again. The Pirates must pick themselves up as the Brewers come into town next, lest they fall out of the playoff race completely. Watch Doug and Cody break the game down in detail here:

Mitch Keller Cannot Keep Pitching Like This

Mitch Keller has continued to be extremely poor in the 2026 campaign, getting replaced by
Cam Sanders after a mere 3 innings today. The Braves were feasting upon Mitch, as he allowed 6 base runners, 3 runs, and a home run over 72 pitches. Not only could he not reliably get hitters out, but the Braves made him labor to get his 9 outs in today’s outing. He managed to miraculously strike out 3 hitters despite only generating 5 whiffs and gave up 6 hard-hit balls, according to Baseball Savant. Mitch Keller is the highest-paid player on this team, and he has been by far the worst starter on the team this season. His ERA sits at 5.14, the worst ERA among qualified starters in the entire sport. This team is on shaky ground with the bullpen as it stands, and now it is unclear whether or not they can even depend on their 16 million dollar man to go five innings. I don’t think replacing him with Mlodzinski is an answer, but when there is general dread about being able to win games, Mitch starts every time he takes the mound; it is a sign that things have to change. The playoff margins in the NL are too thin to keep letting this happen.

Jake Mangum Needs to Approach Fielding Like He Does Hitting

Jake Magum had a great day at the plate, and so far this season he has been everything you could’ve asked for with his bat. Mangum drove in 3 runs and hit a tank that he didn’t even think was possible and was clearly the Pirates’ best offensive player today. He is batting .308 on the season, and his OPS has crept up to .738. It is a high-contact playstyle that is now paying off for Mangum for the 2nd straight season. Now I need to see him do the same with the glove, as this is where the Pirates desperately need his value. Instead of chasing highlights (the Skenes inside-the-park home run and last night’s lollipop throw home), the Pirates need Mangum to be a steady defensive rock out in center field. If he can manage to get the glove under control, the Pirates have stumbled into a great 2-3 WAR player with many years of control. He is very close to not being a frustrating player to watch.

It is Time to Say Goodbye to Dennis Santana

I don’t know what happened to the man who was elite for 2 seasons, but clearly Dennis Santana is gone. It is so far gone that you cannot justify rostering him any longer. Santana is poised to give up home runs every time he takes the mound in a close game, as he has shown the previous 2 games. Santana has mastered the art of not being able to throw strikes while simultaneously throwing the biggest meatballs you’ve ever seen to professional hitters. Today he sank the team with a grand slam on a pitch that even an A+ ball prospect could hit out of the park. His final line sits at 1 IP with 3 hits, 4 runs, and 2 walks surrendered as his ERA sits at 5.95. There is no way the Pirates can justify having him on the roster tomorrow; there is no one in AAA who would do worse than Santana is doing right now.