Don Kelly Explains Controversial Pinch Hit Decision
The Pirates' manager lifted a hot bat from the lineup.
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.