Pat Murphy Benches Cooper Pratt in Milwaukee Brewers Loss

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy pulled rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt during the fifth inning of Tuesday's 3-2 extra-innings loss to the New York Mets at Citi Field following a pair of mental mistakes.

The disciplinary decision came after the 22-year-old rookie failed to execute a bunt in the third inning and subsequently did not hustle out of the batter's box on a fifth-inning fly ball that dropped for a single.

Pratt pulled back on a strike right down the middle with two runners on and no outs during his first plate appearance against left-hander Zac Thornton, eventually leading to an unproductive fielder's choice. Two innings later, he hit a shallow pop-up that dropped between three Mets defenders, but a late start out of the box kept him at first base instead of reaching second.

Murphy addressed the benching after the game, explaining the standard expected from the young shortstop.

"He’s a young player," said Murphy, Milwaukee Brewers manager. "We asked him to get a bunt down and he pulled back on a strike. That happens, maybe, with one strike trying to get the guy to second and third for Chourio in a game where we weren’t swinging it too good to that point.

We get first and second and ask him to bunt. [The] first one was a good attempt. Second one he pulled back on a strike right down the middle."

The manager noted that the combination of both plays required immediate accountability.

"Later, next at-bat, he popped a ball up to right field and didn’t run. The ball landed and stopped – he would have easily got to second base. What could have happened after that, I’m not sure.

But you can’t have a guy not understanding that. And I felt like the first at-bat – didn’t attempt at a bunt on a ball right down the middle – and in the second at-bat, a pop-up that landed fair and he wasn’t at second base, it’s time to let him know that," said Murphy, Milwaukee Brewers manager.

Murphy clarified that he did not attribute the lack of hustle to laziness.

"I know who this kid is. He’s a great kid. It’s not laziness.

You gotta have your head in the game. These games, like today, come down to Lindor’s great catch, an errant throw, whatever it may be, you’ve got to be locked in if you’re going to play at this level. So it was hopefully a good learning experience," said Murphy, Milwaukee Brewers manager.

He emphasized that focusing on the fundamental details remains mandatory for Pratt's development.

"I love the kid and I believe in the kid immensely," said Murphy, Milwaukee Brewers manager. "But he’s got to be a player who does those [little] 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, of, ‘You got to run.’"

Pratt met with reporters in the clubhouse after the loss and took full ownership of the sequence.

"I've got to be better," said Cooper Pratt, Milwaukee Brewers shortstop. "It's stuff that can't happen. It's not winning baseball. I didn't help the team win, and it won't happen again, that's for sure."

He reiterated his commitment to correct the mistakes moving forward.

"From not getting the bunt down to not running hard to first and turning it into a double, it won't happen again. I can promise you that. It's not winning baseball," said Cooper Pratt, Milwaukee Brewers shortstop.

When asked if his swing follow-through hindered his speed out of the box, Pratt declined to offer excuses.

"I don't have an excuse for it. I should have ran hard and I wasn't," said Cooper Pratt, Milwaukee Brewers shortstop. "I don't have an excuse for it. It's inexcusable."

He acknowledged the culture established within the organization.

"It's known," said Cooper Pratt, Milwaukee Brewers shortstop. "There's a certain way we play here, and I may be new, but it doesn't matter. It's the way we're taught through the organization, from rookie ball to the big leagues.

I didn't do that. I will do that. No excuses."

David Hamilton replaced Pratt as a pinch-runner in the fifth inning and remained at third base. In the 10th inning, Hamilton fielded a grounder with the bases loaded and threw errantly into the backstop, allowing New York to score the winning run.