Dallas Keuchel’s first start on the mound in SunTrust Park didn’t disappoint.
The southpaw’s home debut in front of 40,180 fans on Tuesday showed why the Braves acquired him. He pitched seven innings, his most this season, and 55 of his 99 pitches (55.5 percent) were strikeouts.
But the one pitch he wishes he could redo was the one that cost him.
In the fourth inning with two Phillies on base, outfielder Jay Bruce smacked a two-run double off a slider for the only runs in the game. The Braves, who struggled to hit against pitcher Aaron Nola, fell 2-0 in the opener of a three-game series.
“It was just wrong pitch, wrong location at the wrong time,” Keuchel said. “He was swinging. I knew he was. I was trying to beat him off the plate and he just got enough to get a double down the line.”
It’s another chapter for an eventful season for the two-time All-Star. The 2015 American League Cy Young winner signed a one-year, $13-million contract with the Braves in June after seven seasons with the Astros.
He spent the early portion of last month in the minors preparing for his callup. In his two previous starts with the Braves, Keuchel lost to the Nationals on June 21 before defeating the Cubs about a week later. Spread over 17-2/3 innings in the major leagues this season, he’s thrown 283 pitches, 170 of them for strikes (60 percent).
Keuchel said he feels this was his best start of the season. He said he’s continuing to build stamina, mainly because National League rules require the pitcher to take at-bats.
But other than that, he said he’s pleased with the progress he’s making.
“I think I've held my own,” Keuchel said. “I'm just trying to get a good flow for myself and then get into the rhythm of the game. I think I'm there physically and mentally, so hopefully we can start rolling.”
His teammates agree.
First baseman Freddie Freeman said Keuchel’s performance was “fantastic,” but that’s not all he brings to the Braves. His leadership in the clubhouse is contagious, Freeman said, and it’s something younger players should look up to.
“He just keeps us in the game,” Freeman said. “You know you’re one pitch away from getting a ground ball no matter what the situation is.
“We've got a couple of young guys that know what they're doing on the mound, too, but, when you have a veteran like that, you can only make yourself better.”
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