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The Pittsburgh Pirates made headlines Tuesday night for all the wrong reasons. In the fifth inning of their road matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers, Pirates manager Don Kelly was ejected after a heated confrontation with home plate umpire Roberto Ortiz. The meltdown came when outfielder Jack Suwinski was called out on strikes, a moment that reignited debate over MLB umpires and whether automated strike zone technology should replace human calls eventually.
With Pittsburgh trailing 4-0 and Suwinski facing a 1-2 count, Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta delivered a pitch that appeared to miss the outside corner. Ortiz rung up the outfielder, sparking an immediate reaction from Kelly. The Pirates skipper stormed out of the dugout, pointing toward the strike zone and using animated gestures to indicate where he believed the pitch had crossed.
The Talkin’ Baseball podcast took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share the viral moment and highlight Kelly’s determination to make his point before being tossed from the game.
“Don Kelly got his money’s worth after this called strike three”
Don Kelly got his money’s worth after this called strike three pic.twitter.com/g9QFlvzsj7
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 13, 2025
The ejection was Kelly’s third of the season, all of which have come from disputes over balls and strikes. His fiery style has been a constant since taking over as the club's manager earlier this year, a role he assumed following the dismissal of Derek Shelton in May. While the Pirates are mired in a difficult campaign, some fans view his passion as a sign of leadership for a young roster.
Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, the Pirates vs. Brewers contest was decided long after Kelly’s departure. The Brewers rolled to a 14-0 victory, extending their winning streak to 11 games. Rookie pitcher Paul Skenes endured his toughest outing of the year, surrendering seven runs in just two innings, while the bullpen allowed another seven. Pittsburgh’s offense managed only four hits, with Suwinski’s controversial strikeout standing out as a rare moment of intensity.
The loss dropped the team to 51-70 on the season, keeping them at the bottom of the NL Central standings and well out of playoff contention. They now sit 19 games behind Milwaukee and roughly 14.5 games back in the Wild Card race.
In a season short on highlights, Kelly's ejection offered a glimpse of fire from a manager who refuses to let his team go quietly. While the strikeout call won’t change the Pirates’ postseason odds, it added to the ongoing conversation around the accuracy of MLB umpires and whether automated strike zones should become a standard part of the game.
