Pirates Manager Don Kelly Explains Pinch-Hit Decision; Lowe: ‘I Thought It Was the Right Move’

Photo provided by Matt Lynch

PITTSBURGH — Not many hitters in baseball are performing as well as Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe currently is.

In the two games leading up to Tuesday night’s game against the Washington Nationals, Lowe combined for three home runs and 10 RBI. He became the first Pirate to have five RBI in back-to-back games since the stat was first became official in 1920.

On Tuesday night, Lowe picked up right where he left off. In his first at-bat of the game, Lowe belted a solo home run off left-hander PJ Poulin, who was announced late as an opener for veteran right-hander Miles Mikolas.

Despite a big swing early, Lowe’s night ended prematurely after manager Don Kelly opted to pinch hit Nick Yorke in the seventh inning with the bases loaded and one out with left-hander Mitchell Parker on the mound and fellow lefty Cionel Pérez warming in the bullpen. The Pirates were trailing by only one run when the decision was made.

The decision didn’t pay off. Yorke worked himself into a favorable 3-1 count against Pérez but smashed a 101.7 mph grounder right at second baseman Nasim Nuñez, who turned an inning-ending double play.

Kelly explained his reasoning following the Pirates’ 5-4 loss on Tuesday night.

“It was strategic, liked Yorke right there as far as contact ability,” he said.

Despite a home run against Poulin in the first inning, Lowe has struggled against left-handers this season. Entering play, he had only one hit in 19 hits against southpaws and struck out against Parker in his second at-bat against a Nationals left-hander on Tuesday.

But at the same time, Lowe has been one of the best players for the Pirates so far this season.

“It’s a tough decision,” Kelly explained. “I always like to make it about the guy. We’ve talked about as a team, it’s going to take 26 guys. I know Lowe had the home run earlier in the game against lefties. Just liked the matchup with Yorke there as far as putting the ball in play and making contact, and he did. He smoked it, unfortunately right at the second baseman.”

Yorke had a chance for redemption in the bottom of the ninth but was unable to come through against right-hander Gus Varland. With the tying run on second base and a second runner standing on first, Yorke popped out to first baseman Curtis Mead in foul territory for the final out of the game.

The at-bat would have belonged to Lowe had he not not been substituted for earlier, but the Pirates second baseman believes Kelly made the correct call.

“I thought it was the right move to be truly honest,” he said. “Take the personal opinion out of it and look at it with a baseball mind. It was bases loaded, one out, lefty on the mound, lefty in the ‘pen and you go to a guy who sees lefties really well, doesn’t strike out against them, tying run on third base. I had no problem with it.”

Earlier in his career, Lowe admittedly would have been upset by a similar decision. As he’s gained experience, now nine years of it in the big leagues, the 31-year-old sees the game differently.

“Going through the process there and getting games under my belt, you truly kind of get to take a step back and use your baseball mind a little bit and understand the process of moves and the situations that are at hand,” he explained. “You start to realize it was a good move. It was a good call. Just happened to not work out that one time.”

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