Frustration is boiling over for Pirates fans, and the manager is at the center of it.
The Pirates blasted out of the gate to a 20-8 record, but since have been in what can only been described as a freefall. They sit at 41-53, good for a share of last place in the division with the Cardinals. The hitting has been bad, and save for the occasional bright spot like Mitch Keller, the pitching hasn’t been much better.
Monday night was a microcosm of some of the issues. The 11-0 final score obviously emphasized the inability to get the offense going, but the way Derek Shelton managed the game also was curious. Quinn Priester was making his big league debut, and got through five innings having surrendered just three runs.
The Guardians already had gotten some hard contact off Priester at that point. Inexplicably, Shelton left the 22-year-old in the game for sixth so he could face the heart of Cleveland’s order again. He got smacked, with RBI doubles from Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor before Andres Gimenez made it 7-0 with a homer.
Even after the Gimenez homer, Shelton let Priester face two more batters.
The manager was booed amid the disaster, and he responded to the jeers Tuesday in his weekly appearance on “The Cook & Joe Show.
“Yeah, I think you guys have been talking to me for four years – I've never shied away from anything or hid from anything,” Shelton said. “We have to be better. And we have to work to continue to be better, so the fact that fans are passionate and frustrated, I get that.
“There’s nobody more frustrated than I am. So, understand that they’re right in their decision because they’re frustrated, but I’m the most accountable person here. And we need to be better.”
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram