Last-place Pirates fire manager Derek Shelton, promote bench coach Don Kelly

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PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates fired manager Derek Shelton following a rocky opening month to the season that saw Pittsburgh quickly slip into last place in the NL Central.

General manager Ben Cherington made the announcement Thursday. Bench coach Don Kelly will take over for Shelton.

The decision comes with Pittsburgh riding a seven-game losing streak that saw its record fall to 12-26. Shelton, hired by Cherington in November 2019 as part of a franchise-wide reset by owner Bob Nutting, went 306-440 in five-plus seasons with the Pirates.

“Derek worked incredibly hard and sacrificed a lot over five-plus years,” Cherington said in a statement. “His family became a big part of the Pirates family, and we will miss that. He’s an incredibly smart, curious, and driven baseball leader. I believe he was the right person for the job when he was hired. I also believe that a change is now necessary. I wish Derek and his family all the best in their next chapter.”

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