The Pittsburgh Pirates’ gardener, Oneil Cruz, admitted to having lost count of the outs, which cost him being substituted in the 9-3 defeat against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night. In the seventh inning, with the Pirates losing 7-3 and a runner on first with one out, Cruz hit a ground ball for a 6-4-3 double play. After the play at second, Cruz slowed down, believing it was the third out of the inning. The Pirates’ manager, Don Kelly, replaced Cruz in the eighth inning for a defensive change, citing a decrease in Cruz’s “energy and effort.” The player understood Kelly’s decision.
Kelly explained to Cruz the reasons for her replacement.DK had every right to do what he did, and I back him,” Cruz declared through an interpreter. “It was my fault because I thought there were two outs in that situation. That’s why I stopped running towards first base.
Oneil Cruz
When asked if Cruz would be in the starting lineup on Wednesday, Kelly did not commit.“We talked,” Kelly said. “He knows the expectation. At that point, I feel like we fell a little short.”
Don Kelly
Cruz, 26, is batting .156 (12 for 77) with 31 strikeouts this month, following a productive start to the season that included a .911 OPS in early May and a 122.9 mph home run against the Brewers on May 25. Currently, Cruz has a batting average of .208, with an on-base percentage of .321, a slugging percentage of .404, 13 home runs, 31 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases in 71 games. “He’s struggling at the plate right now,” Kelly said. “It’s tough when you’re going through it and trying to figure it out. He’s working hard to do it. That’s something we have to be mindful of, not letting that offense carry over to the defense and the baserunning, and the energy and effort we’re giving in any other aspect of the game as well.” Cruz affirmed that his slump with the bat “had nothing to do with what happened today” and that it is not affecting his focus on the bases or in the field. He also thanked Kelly’s instructions and highlighted how he can learn from his veteran teammates Andrew McCutchen and Tommy Pham.“We will sit down and talk, and we will solve it,” Kelly affirmed.
Don Kelly
They are a very good example,” Cruz said. “They always run hard. They always go out and give 100%. That’s a teaching point for me. I accepted the way DK approached me and explained it to me and presented it to me.”
Oneil Cruz
