Pat Murphy prioritizes discipline after a mental lapse by Cooper Pratt, even as a defensive blunder from his replacement fueled a frustrating Milwaukee Brewers loss.
Milwaukee Brewers fans were surprised to see Cooper Pratt pulled from the team's loss to the New York Mets.
Thankfully, it wasn't an injury concern, but it was a clear message from manager Pat Murphy, one that would backfire.
David Hamilton entered the game not just as a pinch runner, but as someone who would take over third base the rest of the way.
Instead of potentially getting thrown out at second base on a sky-high ball that fell just past the infield, Pratt put on the brakes and stayed at first base.
The Brewers lost this one in extras, and Murphy knows how important every single run is, so he wanted to set an example for everyone in the clubhouse, even though Hamilton, Pratt's replacement, led to the team's demise.
Murphy explains his decision to bench Pratt
"You’ve got to be locked in if you’re going to play at this level,” he said, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. “It was hopefully a good learning experience."
Remember, Pratt is fresh off a stint on the Injured List, and he's just 21 years old. This is his first year in the big leagues, and this is a kid that took quite a bit of time to settle in, and now he's trying to find his groove for the first time since his injury.
Murphy added, "It’s for the player and the team. I love [Pratt] and I believe in the kid immensely. But he’s got to be a player who does those things. He’s not going to hit 30 homers at this point in his career.
"He’s a great defender and a really capable offensive player, and he can’t have that. It’s just not tolerated by anybody, and it sends a message to everybody else, too. You’ve got to run.”
One could argue Murphy is a bit selective when he's trying to make this statement, but at the end of the day he's the back-to-back National League Manager of the Year for a reason.
Brewers didn't lose because of Pratt
There isn't a world where it's okay to put the blame on Pratt for this team's loss. Milwaukee has once again forgotten how to pitch with runners in scoring position, and Hamilton had an easy double play, or at least a force-out set up for him at home in the 10th inning. But he botched the throw and ended the Brewers' embarrassing loss to a team not even in the playoff conversation.
Pratt will get better from this experience, but Jackson Chourio was hitless in a horrendous night at the plate, and it's impossible not to point out how bad Gary Sanchez has been, and how few times a guy like William Contreras runs at full speed to try and get a base hit.
No matter what, Murphy stands by his decision, even if it led to a brutal loss against a subpar team.
