Don Kelly Explains Controversial Pinch Hit Decision

Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe

Don Kelly Explains Controversial Pinch Hit Decision originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

One day after a blowout against the Washington Nationals, the Pittsburgh Pirates found themselves in a tight game.

Trailing by a run in the seventh inning, the Pirates loaded the bases against Nationals lefty Mitchell Parker. Brandon Lowe, who homered off of PJ Poulin in the first inning, was scheduled to hit, but Pirates manager Don Kelly opted to remove him from the game in favor of Nick Yorke. Yorke hit the ball hard, but directly to the second baseman for an inning-ending double play.

On one hand, Lowe was just 2-19 against lefties entering Tuesday's game. On the other hand, he homered off a lefty earlier in the same game and was seven for his last 15. Yorke hasn't hit lefties well this season, but struck out just 16% of the time against them in 2025 and hit 0.333.

Kelly explained his rationale for the move after the game.

"It just felt like Yorke right there, as far as contact ability," Kelly said. "That's a tough decision ... Just liked that matchup with [Yorke] there as far as putting the ball in play, making contact, and he did, he smoked it, just unfortunately right at the second baseman,"

The ball came off Yorke's bat over 100 mph and registered a 0.440 expected batting average. Unfortunately, it was directly to Nasim Nunez, who had no issue starting the double play and ending the threat.

The Pirates threatened in the ninth inning, but ultimately left the tying run stranded on the bases as they fell to the Nationals, 5-4.

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