Pirates Manager Don Kelly Loses Cool With Umpires After Controversial Interference Call Ends Loss to Rockies
The Pittsburgh Pirates lost a game on a base running interference call most people watching had never seen end a game before. Don Kelly is still upset about it.
The Pirates were trailing the Colorado Rockies 2-1 in the top of the ninth at Coors Field on Saturday. Bases loaded, two outs, Jake Mangum at the plate against reliever Jaden Hill. Mangum hit a ball toward Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros that looked like a game-tying single.
Then Karros raised his glove and asked for a review. The umpires went to the replay and ruled that pinch runner Billy Cook had clipped Karros’ glove on his way to third. Game over. Pirates lose on a rule call instead of a play.
Kelly came out of the dugout fast. The game was already final, so there was nothing to argue back into existence. He used the rest of the moment to make sure the umpires heard him.
The Skenes Problem Keeps Getting Worse
The bigger story for the Pirates is what is happening every time Paul Skenes pitches. The reigning Rookie of the Year and Cy Young finalist went six innings, gave up two runs on four hits, and walked away with another no-decision. The Pirates have lost his last seven starts.
This is becoming a real problem in Pittsburgh. Skenes is the best young pitcher in baseball. The Pirates score nothing for him. They make defensive mistakes behind him. They get the unfortunate calls. The first run Saturday came on a leadoff inside-the-park home run after Mangum dove for a flyball in right-center and missed.
It is the kind of stretch that ages a manager. Kelly was hired last winter to bring order to a franchise that has been dysfunctional for most of the past decade. The Pirates have flashes of talent. They cannot put it together for any team Skenes is on the mound for.
The interference call itself is going to live in fan video clips for the rest of the year. Cook’s cleat clearly made contact with Karros’ glove. The rule says a runner cannot interfere with a fielder making a play. Whether it was intentional or whether Karros was even trying to make the play is a separate argument.
The crew got the rule right. They also got the timing wrong. Walking off the field knowing the game just ended on an interference call no one saw in real time is exactly the kind of moment that turns into a midweek MLB Network debate.
Pittsburgh is now well under .500 and trending the wrong direction. The Pirates need to start scoring for Skenes or they are going to be sellers again at the deadline. The interference call did not cost them the season. It just made the existing problem louder.
Don Kelly should be able to manage all of that. He was hired for moments exactly like this one. Charging out of the dugout when the game is already over is going to be the Twitter clip. The bigger job starts when he gets back inside.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
