Derek Shelton explains rationale behind Thursday lineup against Cardinals

During his weekly show on 93.7 The Fan, Pirates Manager Derek Shelton addressed a couple questions about the lineup he put out last Thursday, a getaway game against the Cardinals in St. Louis.

LISTEN: Derek Shelton Show 6/18/24

Nick Gonzales, Andrew McCutchen, Connor Joe and Henry Davis were all out of the lineup.

The bottom five of the lineup that day included Rowdy Tellez (.211), Jared Triolo (.212), Jack Suwinski (.170), Yasmani Grandal (.167) and Michael A. Taylor (.204).

It was a chance to gain another game on a divisional rival and take a third series in a row. The Pirates ended up losing 4-3.

Shelton said when it comes to penciling in the lineup, “obviously the starting things has to do with a lot of different things, a lot of different factors.”

Paul Zeise tells Shelton he understands that some players needed a day off, but wanted to know why some of those players on the bench didn’t pinch hit later in the game.

“It’s a good question, it’s like using your bullpen at the end of the game in terms of what you think,” said Shelton. “Did I have the opportunity to hit for (Yasmani) Grandal and (Michael A.) Taylor, yeah I did and at that time I didn’t think it was the best situation. Sometimes you reflect back and look and say like could we have done something different? Yeah, 100 percent.”

Shelton adds at the time, he thought that the matchups were the best he had.

Joe Starkey then asked Shelton about Nick Gonzales and why he didn’t play or at least pinch hit in the 9 ^th inning after the team had just had a day off on that previous Monday.

Shelton said he kept Grandal and Taylor in the game because they had both had hits earlier in the game.

“I felt like it was a better situation for those two guys than it was Nick at the time,” said Shelton.

He added that hitting changes and pitches changes are the most criticized moves a manager will make and admits it may have been the wrong choice.

When it comes to not playing Henry Davis the day after he hit a home run, Shelton said, “I didn’t feel like, in that situation, that was the best matchup for us, defiantly not catching after, night game after the day game and the heat there.”