BRADENTON, Fla. -- Pirates top prospect Mitch Keller was looking for a bounce-back start on Sunday. Instead, he got bounced around for a second straight outing.

Keller allowed four earned runs on three hits while walking two and striking out none in the first inning of Pittsburgh’s 10-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. In his spring debut against the Twins on Tuesday, Keller gave up two earned runs on three hits in an inning.

“It’s a little easier being Spring Training, but it still hurts,” Keller said. “I’m trying to get guys out. I’m a competitor. I want to win and I want to do the best I can, so it’ll take some time."

Things went south quickly for Keller. Rays leadoff man Joey Wendle took Keller’s second pitch of the game to the opposite field over the fence in left. The next two batters, Willy Adames and Ji-Man Choi, walked. Avisail Garcia’s single up the middle brought in another run and prompted a mound visit from manager Clint Hurdle.

“It’s unfortunate, but that’s baseball, and we have to counteract and be better for it next time,” Keller said.

Mike Zunino cleared the bases with a long fly ball that dropped into the corner in left field but got thrown out trying to stretch his double into a triple. Keller avoided more damage thanks to a diving catch on the warning track by right fielder Jose Osuna to rob Christian Arroyo of extra bases.

“Unfortunately it was a short outing. We were hoping to see him pitch a little bit more,” Hurdle said. “After 29 pitches in the first inning, there’s no reward for sending him back out there.”

A second-round Draft pick by the Pirates in 2014, Keller is ranked as baseball's No. 19 prospect per MLB Pipeline. Last season, the right-hander went 12-4 with 3.48 ERA in 142 1/3 innings across three Minor League levels.

“It’s all part of the learning opportunity,” Hurdle said. “I definitely believe in the long run it’s going to sharpen him in a variety of ways.”

Despite the rough start to his spring, Keller also continues to be optimistic.

"I felt really good with my curveball and fastball. I threw some real good changeups, too, so those are all positives,” he said. “I’m not looking at the outcome necessarily. I’m only looking at the positives.”