PITTSBURGH (DA) — Antwone Kelly made his MLB debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, becoming the latest Aruban player to reach baseball’s biggest stage.
The 22-year-old right-hander pitched 2.1 innings out of the bullpen in Pittsburgh’s 8-3 loss to the Miami Marlins. Kelly allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 1 and struck out 1.
Kelly entered after Pittsburgh starter Braxton Ashcraft and reliever Dauri Moreta Dotel. His final line included 1 home run allowed, leaving him with a 7.71 ERA after his first major league appearance.
Logan Hicks homered off Kelly in the eighth inning, a 2-run shot that helped Miami pull away. The Marlins finished with 8 runs on 11 hits, while the Pirates had 3 runs on 6 hits.
Sandy Alcantara earned the win for Miami, improving to 6-4 after allowing 3 runs over 8 innings with 7 strikeouts. Dotel took the loss for Pittsburgh.
Kelly’s debut came after the Pirates promoted him from Triple-A Indianapolis, where he had gone 3-4 with a 4.50 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 47 strikeouts in 54 innings this season.
Kelly, ranked as Pittsburgh’s No. 7 prospect by MLB Pipeline, signed with the Pirates as an international free agent in 2021. He also represented the Netherlands in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
After the game, Kelly summed up the moment simply.
“It’s a dream come true,” Kelly said. “I felt like a kid.”