24 Chris Archer SP

Archer (6-8) tossed six shutout innings Monday to earn the win over the Cubs, allowing four hits and two walks with nine strikeouts.

Archer threw 69 percent of his pitches for strikes as he notched his highest strikeout total since joining the Pirates. He only ran into trouble when he put two runners on in both the first and sixth innings, but he was able to escape without any real damage on both occasions. Archer has hit his stride since the beginning of September, delivering four quality starts in his last five while posting a sharp 2.70 ERA during that stretch. He'll look to close out the season on a high this weekend against the Reds.

Archer (5-8) picked up the win Wednesday, allowing one run on six hits and a walk over seven innings while striking out eight in a 2-1 victory over the Royals.

It was the right-hander's best performance since being traded to Pittsburgh, although it's perhaps not a coincidence that it came against a semi-familiar American League foe. Archer does seem to have gotten more comfortable in his new uniform, posting quality starts in three of four September outings with a 27:7 K:BB in 24 innings. He's currently set to close out the campaign with a two-start week, taking the mound on the road Tuesday against the Cubs and Sunday against the Reds.

Archer (4-8) took the loss Friday, giving up four runs on six hits and two walks over five innings while striking out eight as the Pirates fell 7-4 to the Brewers.

The right-hander dug a quick 3-0 hole by giving up first-inning homers to Christian Yelich and Travis Shaw, but Archer settled down and gave the Bucs a chance to tie things up at 3-3 before allowing another run in the bottom of the fifth, dropping his record to 1-3 with Pittsburgh. He'll take a 4.66 ERA on the year -- but a 5.49 mark with his next club -- into his next start Wednesday at home against the Royals.

Archer allowed three runs on five hits and three walks while fanning five across six innings Friday against Miami. He didn't factor into the decision.

Archer left the ballgame with a one-run deficit after surrendering a three-run homer to Lewis Brinson in the sixth inning, but the Pirates would battle back to take the lead in the seventh. Archer tossed 55 of 91 pitches for strikes. The 29-year-old has struggled since joining Pittsburgh, recording just one win and a 5.28 ERA over 34.1 frames while punching out 38. Archer will search for continued success his next time through the rotation, with his next start scheduled for Wednesday against the Cardinals.

General manager Neal Huntington said Archer, who no-hit the Braves for the first five innings he threw Saturday, pitched exclusively out of the stretch to simplify his approach and repeat his motion.

Speaking on his weekly radio show, Huntington said Sunday that pitching out of the stretch exclusively is a way to "simplify, to minimize body movement, to get in one position and maximize what you get out of that spot." Archer threw his fastball at a season-high rate of 54.7 percent. After compiling a 6.45 ERA and 1.75 WHIP with Pittsburgh in August, the right-hander is finally showing glimpses of the potential that led the team to spend so heavily for him at the deadline.