Pittsburg, PA
Pirates Manager Don Kelly Addresses Ejection vs. Padres
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly has built a reputation for defending his players and did so again in their latest game vs. the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
The Pirates loaded the bases in the top of the eighth inning, with designated hitter Andrew McCutchen hitting a two-out double and then both right fielder Bryan Reynolds and Spencer Horwitz drawing walks.
Catcher Henry Davis came up to bat for the Pirates and with his team trailing 3-2, just needing to get on base any way he could to tie it up or give them the lead.
Davis worked a full count, and the seventh pitch of the at-bat from Padres right-handed pitcher Robert Suarez was low, which would’ve tied the game up on a bases-loaded walk on ball four.
Home plate umpire Edwin Jimenez, however, called a third strike and the Pirates didn’t score any runs.
Davis was stunned, but Kelly immediately ran out of the dugout and confronted Jimenez, demanding an explanation for the call and ended up ejected.
The Pirates went on and lost the game 3-2, which saw players like McCutchen and right-handed starting pitcher Mitch Keller show their displeasure with the umpire crew.
Kelly praised his players’ effort against top bullpen arms in Suarez and right-handed pitcher Jeremiah Estrada and also, clearly, didn’t care for the call.
“Honestly, the way our guys battled against two of the best relievers in the game, to comeback in that situation, get the bases loaded,” Kelly said. “Henry grinds out an at-bat. Obviously, I did not agree with the call and you know, it’s just unfortunate, that he battles that far in that at-bat, all our guys. That inning, again, against two of the best relievers in the game, to get into that situation, it’s just unfortunate.”
Kelly makes it three ejections since taking over as manager of the Pirates on May 8, after the front office dismissed Derek Shelton.
He got his first ejection in his second game in charge vs. the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park on May 10 and then his second ejection against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on May 16.
Kelly said that Jimenez said nothing to him during his time out of the dugout and that the Pirates have to earn the respect from umpires going forward.
He also praised his team for fighting back in the game and that it means a great deal as the season moves on.
“As a team, we just got to go out and earn it,” Kelly said. “We’ve got to go out and earn that respect. We’ve got to play with a chip on our shoulder and find a way to overcome those situations. It was something that, like I said, was an unfortunate call, in a big moment.
“It happened in Philadelphia a few weeks ago. Happened again tonight and just proud of the guys and the way they competed against those two guys especially and I think that it’s something to take forward.
“We’re right there with these guys. We’ve got guys on base. In Arizona, we came up with some big hits. We just go to keep grinding and earn that respect.”
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Pittsburg, PA
About 5 pounds of bees removed from Acrisure Stadium scaffolding ahead of Morgan Wallen concerts
Acrisure Stadium is buzzing with excitement ahead of the back-to-back Morgan Wallen concerts. Except it’s not the fans generating all the excitement — it’s about 5 pounds of honeybees.
The Fine Family Apiary in Monongahela said it was contacted on Wednesday about a swarm of bees clustered on the stage scaffolding. The apiary put the swarm in a “nuc box” and took them home before moving the bees into full-size equipment.
Owner Al Fine estimates the swarm weighed about 4 to 5 pounds and consisted of 12,000 to 15,000 bees. All said, it took less than two hours to get the job done.
Why do bees swarm?
Swarming is how honeybees propagate, Fine explained. According to Penn State Extension, during swarming, the queen and about half the workers leave their home to establish a new nest. The bees will form a temporary cluster, hanging out while scouts search the surrounding area for a more permanent home in hollow spaces like tree cavities or, occasionally, the walls of a home.
Swarms can stick around for several hours or days until they’re ready to move, Penn State Extension says. Meanwhile, the colony left behind is temporarily without a leader until a new queen is established.
With the swarm at Acrisure Stadium removed, Morgan Wallen’s show is ready to go on. The country music megastar will bring his I’m The Problem Tour to Pittsburgh on June 5 and June 6, along with multiple acts like Brooks & Dunn and Ella Langley.
On Sept. 17, multi-platinum country music star Luke Bryan will bring his Farm Tour to 1846 Farms near Latrobe.
Westmoreland County is no stranger to large outdoor concerts. Some may remember the Rolling Rock Town Fair in the early 2000s, while others may recall Luke Bryan’s stop at a farm in South Huntingdon Township just two years ago. Now the country music superstar is returning to the area.
The Unity Township farm’s general manager, Aleisha Stas, gave KDKA a tour of the family farm, which dates back to before the Civil War. She says Bryan’s team first reached out after finding the farm on social media, but she says at first, she and her family thought it was too good to be true.
“This was around April Fools, so we thought it was an April Fools prank,” Stas said. “My whole family, we were like, there’s no way this is about to happen. But this has been incredible.”
Stas says Bryan’s team is handling everything logistically from parking and bathrooms to deciding exactly where the concert will be staged.
“If we have it on this side of the property, we can hold 12,000 people,” Stas said. “And if we have it on (the other side) of the property, it can be up to 20,000. But we have not determined that yet.”
Many of those decisions will be made as September gets closer. In the meantime, however, the farm is holding off on planting in certain fields until the final concert location is selected.
And while hosting thousands of people may sound a little intimidating, Stas says her family is excited to welcome fans to the farm for what they hope will be a memorable night.
“Obviously, we’ve never had this many people here before, so it will be a new thing for all of us, but we are not worried,” said Stas. “Luke Bryan’s team are experts with this, and I think it will go great.”
Tickets for this concert are currently on sale, and they will run you about $77 per person, plus tax for general admission.
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