Yankees Blank Pirates 2-0 After Kelly Pulls Bubba Chandler in 7th

Q: Did one manager's controversial decision to pull a budding ace just derail the Pirates' entire playoff push?

No. Don Kelly’s decision to pull Bubba Chandler was fair to question, but one pitching change did not derail Pittsburgh’s playoff push. The move clearly hurt the Pirates in that game. Chandler had settled in after early wildness, retired 13 of 14 hitters, and left after 6 1/3 scoreless innings on just 84 pitches. Kelly said the 10-day layoff and a loss of “steam” drove the decision, but the immediate result was damaging: Brandon Eisert walked Cody Bellinger, then allowed run-scoring hits to Jasson Domínguez and Anthony Volpe in a 2-0 loss. Chandler himself wanted to stay in. But the broader evidence points elsewhere. Pittsburgh remains in the race, hovering around .500 and within reach of a wild-card spot, so the season is not “derailed.” More importantly, the Pirates’ biggest problem has been their bullpen all year, not one managerial call. Their relief corps has carried an ERA in the mid-4s, piled up 15 to 17 blown saves, and repeatedly turned winnable games into losses. This game fit that pattern. The episode does matter because it highlights a real tension for Pittsburgh: balancing Chandler’s development and workload against the urgency of a playoff chase. It may also intensify pressure on Kelly and the front office to add bullpen help at the deadline. So the decision was costly and may become a symbol of the Pirates’ frustrations, but the playoff push will be decided far more by bullpen upgrades and consistency than by this one controversial hook.

3 articles · Updated · MLB.com · Jul 23

Two seventh-inning runs gave New York a 2-0 Game 2 win after Pittsburgh lifted Bubba Chandler with one out and a runner aboard in the nightcap of Wednesday’s doubleheader.
Jasson Domínguez doubled home Cody Bellinger and Anthony Volpe followed with an RBI single off reliever Brandon Eisert, turning Don Kelly’s pitching change into the game’s decisive moment.
Chandler recovered from a shaky start — including a leadoff walk and an early mound visit — to throw 6 1/3 scoreless innings, saying he found his delivery by the third after 10 days without pitching.
Max Fried matched him with five scoreless innings in his first outing since May 13, returning from a left elbow bone bruise as the teams split the doubleheader after Pittsburgh won Game 1, 5-3.