The Pirates fell behind 5-1 early in Tuesday night's game against the Nationals at PNC Park, but managed to claw their way back to make it a 5-4 game. And in the seventh inning, they had the bases loaded with one out and Brandon Lowe coming to the plate. Don Kelly saw the matchup and opted to pinch hit for Lowe, putting Nick Yorke out there to face Mitchell Parker.
Yorke grounded into a 4-3 double play and the Pirates lost the game, 5-4.
Lowe has been perhaps the Pirates hottest hitter to start the season, with Oneil Cruz the only one giving him a run for his money. Even earlier in the game, Lowe homered off left-hander PJ Poulin, becoming the fourth Pirate since 1920 to record at least four home runs and 11 RBIs in a three-game span.
"It's a tough decision," Kelly said after the game, clarifying that the decision was purely strategic. "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's ground ball did have an exit velocity of 101.7 mph with a .440 expected batting average. It did happen to go right at Nasim Nuñez at second base for the easy double play. In addition, Lowe did face Parker in the fifth inning, striking out on four pitches, swinging and missing at three sliders outside of the strike zone.
Yet, there's just something that feels wrong about having the team's hottest hitter replaced in a spot where the team's probability to win is at 56.7%, according to Baseball Savant, despite trailing by one run. And with Yorke's double play, the win probability plummeted to 25.5%.
THE ASYLUM
Kelly pinch hitting for Lowe backfires
The Pirates fell behind 5-1 early in Tuesday night's game against the Nationals at PNC Park, but managed to claw their way back to make it a 5-4 game. And in the seventh inning, they had the bases loaded with one out and Brandon Lowe coming to the plate. Don Kelly saw the matchup and opted to pinch hit for Lowe, putting Nick Yorke out there to face Mitchell Parker.
Yorke grounded into a 4-3 double play and the Pirates lost the game, 5-4.
Lowe has been perhaps the Pirates hottest hitter to start the season, with Oneil Cruz the only one giving him a run for his money. Even earlier in the game, Lowe homered off left-hander PJ Poulin, becoming the fourth Pirate since 1920 to record at least four home runs and 11 RBIs in a three-game span.
"It's a tough decision," Kelly said after the game, clarifying that the decision was purely strategic. "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's ground ball did have an exit velocity of 101.7 mph with a .440 expected batting average. It did happen to go right at Nasim Nuñez at second base for the easy double play. In addition, Lowe did face Parker in the fifth inning, striking out on four pitches, swinging and missing at three sliders outside of the strike zone.
Yet, there's just something that feels wrong about having the team's hottest hitter replaced in a spot where the team's probability to win is at 56.7%, according to Baseball Savant, despite trailing by one run. And with Yorke's double play, the win probability plummeted to 25.5%.
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