LISTEN: Shelton explains decisions following Sunday's loss to D-Backs

Pirates manager Derek Shelton is defending the decisions he made on Sunday’s game after the Pirates blew a 4-0 led to lose 6-5 to the Diamondbacks.

What very well could’ve been a sweep on Arizona turned into a 1-win weekend.

Leaving Holderman in:

Shelton said on his weekly radio show on The Fan Tuesday that they had two strikes on Joc Pederson before he hit a go-ahead three-run homer to give the Diamondbacks a 5-4 lead.

“He hit a 100-mile-an-hour fastball, middle-away to the deepest part of the ballpark,” said Shelton about Pederson’s home run. “We didn’t finish it, just like Friday night we didn’t finish Josh Bell on a 103=mile-an-hour fastball away that got hit the opposite way.”

Many believed lefty Jalen Beeks should’ve come in to face Pederson, instead of the recently struggling Holderman.

Shelton was hoping to get out of the innings without using Beeks who had pitched one inning on Saturday and two-thirds of an inning on Friday.

Holderman has given up four home runs in his last four games.

Shelton says that if Beeks game in, the Diamondbacks would’ve brought in a pinch hitter that is 3-for-9 lifetime against Beeks.

Shelton added that he was not saving players and that Aroldis Chapman was available to pitch.

Jake Woodford pitched the ninth. He gave up a home run to give Arizona a two-run lead.

He said after the game that he would need to examine to see if Holderman should still be used in high-leverage situations. During his show, he said Holderman will continue to pitch in those situations, but Shelton did add that Holderman needs to be better and still stands by that.

Having Isiah Kiner-Falefa bunt:

In the bottom of the ninth inning with two runners on and no outs, the Pirates had IKF attempted a bunt after he had two extra base hits earlier in the game.

Kiner-Falefa popped out to the pitcher.

Shelton explained his reasoning for the bunt.

“My thinking is, if we bunt IKF there with Thompson on the mound, Thompson’s a heavy groundball ball, like 65 percent verses right-hander, so, if we roll into a double play there, then that means (Bryan) Reynolds comes to the plate with two out and to tie the game, we have to get a homer,” said Shelton.

Shelton says he realizes the Diamondbacks may have walked Reynolds, but he adds that would’ve put the winning run on base.

Why no Reynolds stolen base:

In the second-inning, Reynolds seemed to have an open base at second, but Shelton said that they wanted to leave that part of the field open for hitter Oneil Cruz.

Cruz ended up hitting into a double play to end the inning.