Nats' Keller sets career high with five RBIs
Alec Keller may have hit only one homer this season, but he continues to drive in runs at an impressive clip.
The Washington outfield prospect set a career high with five RBIs on a 3-for-4 night while falling a homer short of the cycle in Class A Advanced Potomac's 9-6 win over Salem at G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium on Thursday. Keller's big night gave him 30 RBIs on the season, eighth-best in the Carolina League.
"I wouldn't say [driving in runs] is something I'm specifically trying to do, I'm just doing my job," he said. "RBIs have a lot to do with your teammates. We've had some guys who've been pretty hot in front of me. Drew Ward, Raudy Read and Khayyan Norfork make my job easy. A lot of times I'll get up there in situations like second and third with nobody out and just hit the ground ball to get the job done. As long as I stay calm and don't chase bad pitches, the RBIs will come naturally."
The 24-year-old got his night started with a two-run single to center field in the first inning. After grounding out in the third, Keller came to bat in the fifth looking for one pitch, but getting the complete opposite. But he adjusted on the fly and wound up on third base after hitting a triple to right.
"Norfork was hitting in front of me and got four or five straight fastballs away, so I was kind of locked in on that," Keller said. "Then he [Salem reliever Jamie Callahan] threw a changeup in. I was able to make good contact and it hit the gap for a triple."
With his team leading, 6-5, in the bottom of the sixth, Keller came to the plate with the bases loaded and roped a bases-clearing double down the first-base line.
"In general, I just try to get a pitch up and try to avoid swinging at a pitch in the dirt and roll into the double play," the Princeton product said. "Ironically, I swung at a slider in the dirt to go down 1-2. After that, I was like, 'See it up, get a barrel on it.' Luckily, I got an inside fastball and found a hole."
After the inning ended, Keller was aware he was a home run shy of his first career cycle. He was due up fourth in the eighth, but the P-Nats went down in order in front of him.
"The guys were asking me if I was going for it, but I only have hit one home run in my career, so I don't really know how well that would work. I was probably going to try and drive one and see what happens," the Virginia native said. "It would have been fun to get the chance, but at least we got the win, so it's all good. I won't get greedy, I'll take this line every time."
No. 12 Washington prospect Osvaldo Abreu went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. The 21-year-old is 5-for-7 with a double and two RBIs in his last two games. Eight of the nine players in the Potomac lineup scored a run.
MLB.com's No. 14 overall prospect Rafael Devers belted a three-run homer for Salem.
Michael Leboff is a contributor to MiLB.com.
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