Pirates Extend Don Kelly After Turnaround

The Pittsburgh Pirates on Sept. 29 extended Don Kelly's contract after he was promoted from bench coach to interim manager in May when Derek Shelton was fired following a 12-26 start. Kelly went 59-65 as manager (71-91 overall), going 32-33 after the All-Star break and 37-25 at PNC Park, and the club swept seven series under his leadership, including wins over the Dodgers, Phillies and Tigers. Team metrics improved under Kelly, with the pitching staff posting a 3.59 ERA (fourth-best in MLB) and a .988 fielding percentage. Pirates chairman Bob Nutting and GM Ben Cherington praised Kelly's communication, credibility and Pittsburgh ties, and Kelly said he is committed to raising standards and delivering for fans. The club did not disclose the terms of the extension and acknowledged it still fell short overall while entering next season with a promising pitching core led by Paul Skenes and several young arms.