Dallas Keuchel wasn’t as impressive in his second minor league start as he was in his first.
The 2015 American League Cy Young winner, Keuchel is in the minors to prep for his first Braves start after agreeing to terms with the team as a free agent earlier this month.
On Saturday for the Double-A Mississippi Braves, Keuchel pitched seven innings in the first game of a doubleheader, leaving with score tied 3-3 and the game headed to extra innings, which the M-Braves won 4-3 in eight innings.
Keuchel allowed three runs on 11 hits and walked one. He struck out four. Keuchel threw 106 pitches, 74 for strikes.
The start was Keuchel’s second in the minors since he signed with the Braves. On June 10 he started for Single-A Rome, where he pitched seven innings and struck out nine while allowing one hit and no runs and walked one batter. He threw 77 pitches that night, 55 for strikes.
Entering Saturday’s game, this was expected to be Keuchel’s last minor league appearance before he makes his Braves debut. Because of his free agency, Keuchel did not participate in spring training, and all of his offseason work was on his own, so he needed some time in the minors to tune up.
The Braves announced June 7 that they signed Keuchel to a one-year contract that will expire at the end of this season.
