Pirates rookie Oneil Cruz on baserunning mistakes: 'I guarantee will not happen again'

Derek Shelton has preached ad nauseam that the Pittsburgh Pirates will learn developmental lessons as they lean on young players.

Oneil Cruz became the latest Pirates rookie to learn the hard way.

Cruz was picked off at second base in the 10th inning of a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night, the second consecutive game the 6-foot-7 shortstop had a costly baserunning gaffe at the bag.

“I’m an individual that always says every game, every situation, there’s something to learn and grow from,” Cruz said through translator Mike Gonzalez. “The game of baseball since an early age has been teaching me a lot. You learn a lot of these things over in the minor leagues. Even here, the game’s a lot quicker, and you see a lot more things happen that I’m learning and I’m growing from.”

The Phillies caught Cruz leading too far off second base, where he started the 10th inning after striking out to end the ninth. Cruz said he heard calls to go back to the bag when shortstop Didi Gregorius slipped behind him but didn’t have time to react as pitcher Corey Knebel turned and threw him out.

“Caught me by surprise in that situation,” Cruz said. “It’s definitely something that I will learn, and I guarantee will not happen again.”

Shelton lamented how the mental mistake cost the Pirates an out. It also prevented the Pirates from taking advantage of their best chance to score in a one-run game.

It was their sixth consecutive loss, all by two runs or fewer.

“We’re going to make physical mistakes,” Shelton said. “We have to avoid making mental mistakes in such a small margin. We play a lot of close games, so the small margin of victory and I think at times, good, bad or indifferent we’re going to see young players make mental mistakes and we have to learn from those. Tonight, we made a mental mistake.”

The mistake Cruz made Friday night was more confusing. He was doubled up on Yoshi Tsutsugo’s flyout to right after rounding second base without touching the bag and attempting to return to first.

Problem was, his foot touched the wrong side next to the base, committing to third base. The Phillies recognized it right away, as third baseman Alec Brohm covered second and took the throw from first baseman Rhys Hoskins. They challenged the safe call, and it was overturned upon review, ending the eighth inning of a game tied at 2-2.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he “can understand” that Cruz wasn’t aware of the rule — or the mistake he’d made.

“Typically players don’t know every rule. Coaches don’t know every rule,” Thomson said. “There’s a lot of things that come up that you’re unsure about.”

Shelton was ejected from the 2021 season finale for arguing a similar call, so he’s more familiar with the rule than Cruz was. Shelton said he had to explain the rule to Cruz after the game.

“He thought by not touching, he was fine going back but because he was on that side,” said Shelton, who discussed the call with crew chief Bill Miller and second-base umpire Doug Eddings before the review. “It’s a good teaching point for us. That’s one of those rules that there’s a small, little intricacy that makes it a replay review.”

For Cruz, it was humbling to learn difficult lessons in back-to-back games, with both mistakes proving costly in close losses. Cruz said he wasn’t aware of the rule until his conversation with Shelton.

“I’m aware of (it) now, and I guarantee it’s not going to happen again,” Cruz said. “These are things that happen in a game. I’m going to be out here and definitely learning a lot. Really thankful to the coaching staff for teaching me everything that they know. These situations, I can’t let them beat me up. I’ve just got to grow from them.”