CINCINNATI -- As the rain poured down on Great American Ball Park, a simple conversation on a possible delay turned into Pirates manager Don Kelly’s MLB-leading fifth ejection of the season in a 10-2 loss to the Reds on Sunday afternoon. The ejection occurred in the fourth inning with Pittsburgh trailing, 7-1.
Kelly worked in a clear argument over the field conditions. In the top of the fourth, the game was paused for over 20 minutes to fix the infield dirt. Puddles built along the foul lines and pitchers struggled to grip the baseball.
It’s unknown exactly what Kelly was arguing over.
The Reds jumped on Mitch Keller right away, putting up three runs in the first on four hits. Cincinnati crushed Keller as three hits registered over 100 mph in exit velocity, according to Statcast. Sal Stewart ripped a ball projected to travel 420 feet to the second deck in left field. Then, singles from JJ Bleday and Nathaniel Lowe sandwiched a Tyler Stephenson double. Former Pirates infielder Ke’Bryan Hayes added on in the second with another homer.
Through the rain, Keller couldn’t find a grip in the third inning and loaded the bases with a double and two walks. His day was quickly over, as reliever Noah Murdock entered. Murdock’s performance didn’t help matters as he finished Keller’s line with seven earned runs to build a 7-0 deficit.
Pittsburgh tallied a run in the top of the fourth, also breaking up Chase Burns’ no-hitter. But the rain wouldn’t hold up, and Kelly was given the treat of enjoying the rest of the game from the comfort of his office.