Pirates Manager Defends Oneil Cruz After Fielding Mistake

Cruz also had two other incidents in the game, where he just mistimed his leap for a ball at the center field wall for a double from Rangers catcher Jonah Heim in the top of the sixth inning

The other came when he and left fielder Alexander Canario went for a ball in deep center field that Canario gave back to him after slipping. Cruz threw to hold Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien for a triple in the top of the seventh inning

Pirates manager Don Kelly addressed Cruz after the game and while he didn't like the play in the first inning, he praised Cruz's effort afterwards, which is what he wants to see from him going forward.

"He came in and missed it. In that moment, nobody feels worse than Oneil does," Kelly said. "I think something that we talk about is we’re going to misplay balls. That’s going to happen. How do we react to it in the moment? And how do we react after?

"We talked about it after. If it gets by him, sometimes you’re not going to get it, but to go. I think when you look at the rest of the game, the play he almost made in center field and then he hustled after it, the ball in left center where him and Canario are both going hard after that ball. Oneil, the energy, the effort in the rest of the game, getting down the line, I thought he made a good adjustment there and played hard the rest of the way, which is the expectation moving forward."

Kelly spoke on Cruz and that players make these mistakes throughout a season. He liked how Cruz responded and that he just wants to see him continue making the effort every game like he has done in 2025.

“Keeping him in the game, I think that all players deserve the opportunity to make the adjustments and have conversations like that," Kelly said. "I feel like Oneil’s effort has been good recently in how he’s been playing and I think we saw that the rest of the game in how he got after it and I think that he deserves a chance there in finding a way to make that adjustment as you go. 

"If it continues like that then something that we’re going to have to address in a different way, but I thought he handled it well the rest of the game and played hard and did the things he was supposed to.

"I mean, shoot, if he makes the play in center field, everybody’s talking about how good of a play it was and he ran into the wall and everything, bounced off the wall and got that ball. I think that everybody earns the opportunity to make the adjustment."