In a game that offered plenty of drama, the Pittsburgh Pirates fell to the Milwaukee Brewers 9-3, and one moment stood out — from Oneil Cruz, as it turned out. The talented outfielder found himself at the center of attention after forgetting how many outs there were, which led to him not sprinting out a potential double-play grounder. Cruz was clearly rattled and spoke candidly about his misstep after the game.
As the Pirates faced a 7-3 deficit in the seventh inning with a runner on first and one out, Cruz grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. However, after the Brewers secured the force play at second, Cruz mistakenly slowed down, thinking that was the third out of the inning. The reality of the situation brought a quick response from Pirates manager Don Kelly, who chose to replace Cruz with a defensive substitute in the eighth, citing a lack of effort on Cruz’s part as a significant reason.
“I understood,” Cruz admitted, acknowledging the decision made by Kelly. “It was my fault because I thought there were two outs in that situation. That’s why I let off running to first base.”
Kelly, taking a moment to address the situation with Cruz, highlighted the importance of understanding the expectations regarding hustle. “We talked,” he mentioned. “He knows the expectation. Right there, I feel we fell a little short.” As for whether Cruz would be back in the starting lineup the following day, Kelly kept his cards close to his chest, indicating they would have discussions before making a final call.
Cruz has been in a bit of a tailspin at the plate recently, with a batting average of just .156 this month, including a staggering 31 strikeouts over 77 at-bats. Contrast that with the promising beginning of his season, where he boasted a remarkable .911 OPS and unleashed a jaw-dropping 122.9 mph homer against the Brewers on May 25 — the hardest-hit ball since Statcast has tracked it in 2015. Now, he’s sitting with a .208 average, a .321 on-base percentage, a .404 slugging percentage, along with 13 homers, 31 RBIs, and 26 steals over 71 games.
Kelly isn’t overlooking the impact Cruz’s struggles might have on his overall play. “It’s difficult when you’re going through that and trying to figure it out,” he observed. “He’s working hard to do that. That’s one thing we’ve got to be mindful of — not letting that offense carry over into defense and baserunning.”
Despite the challenges at the plate, Cruz insisted that his hitting slump wasn’t linked to his base running or focus defensively. He mentioned the value of the guidance he receives from seasoned teammates like Andrew McCutchen and Tommy Pham. “They’re a really good example,” Cruz noted. “They always run hard. They always go out there to do their 100%. That’s a teaching point for me.” It’s clear that despite the bumps in the road, Cruz is looking to learn and adapt, with the hope of channeling that energy into a stronger performance moving forward.
