Brewers Manager Calls Out Cooper Pratt After Benching For Lack of Hustle In Loss to Mets

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy explained why he pulled rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt from the game during the fifth inning of Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the New York Mets.

Murphy told reporters after the game that he made the decision to take Pratt out of the game in favor of David Hamilton after he only managed a single on a pop-up that landed in between three Mets fielders in shallow right field in the fifth inning.

"He popped a ball up to right field and didn't run, and the ball landed and stopped," Murphy said. "He would've easily got to second base. What could've happened after that, I'm not sure, but you can't have a guy not understanding that."

Murphy added, "You've got to be locked in if you're going to play at this level. ... You'd better run."

Meanwhile, Pratt acknowledged that he should have been hustling out of the batter's box rather than watching to see if the ball would fall in, saying, "There is no excuse. I should've ran hard no matter if it's foul or fair, if it's an out. I should've been busting my butt to get to second base. Some of the guys pulled me aside and let me know, 'Hey, this is how we do it here,' and I know that. It won't happen again."

Murphy suggested that pulling Pratt from the game was the result of multiple issues rather than just his inability to get to second base on the fifth-inning pop-up.

The reigning two-time National League Manager of the Year told reporters that Pratt not getting a bunt down in the third inning also factored into his decision, saying, "We asked him to get a bunt down, pulled back on a strike, and that happens, maybe. Trying to get a guy second and third for [Jackson] Chourio in a game where we weren't swinging it too good."

Milwaukee did not get a run in during the third or fifth innings, and they went on to lose 3-2 to the Mets in 10 innings.

At 81-51, the Brewers have the best record in Major League Baseball, and much of that is thanks to their ability to effectively play small ball when needed.

Pratt didn't execute in those situations on Tuesday, but Murphy noted that he still has confidence in the 22-year-old rookie, saying, "I love the kid, and I believe in the kid immensely. He's got to be a player that 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 we can't have that."

The Brewers will return to action Wednesday night against the Mets before finishing up the series on Thursday night.