SAN DIEGO — Pirates third base coach Joey Cora was eminently clear: He told Gregory Polanco not to tag up because he thought he would get thrown out at home.
“Whether he’s foul, fair, whatever, I thought he was going to get thrown out at the plate,” Cora said.
Cora was referring to his controversial decision not to send Polanco home on Jose Osuna’s pop-up in foul territory Saturday night at Petco Park. Polanco, the tying run, was 90 feet from home. Right fielder Hunter Renfroe caught the ball and crashed into the wall, but Cora had told Polanco not to run home.