Don Kelly's discipline of Oneil Cruz already appears to be working for Pirates

The Oneil Cruz slump has been a frustrating stretch in more ways than just the numbers indicate. Things somehow reached the point where Cruz's effort started to slip, and managerDon Kelly immediately stepped in. Fortunately, in Game 1 against the Cardinals, the Pirates swiftly began to see results from Kelly's words.

In the first inning, Cruz was up to bat with a runner on third and two outs. He smoked a 102.4 mph ground ball to second base and made it a bang-bang play, but was still out at first. Nonetheless, the big picture here is that he nearly beat it out to produce an extra run after getting his fire lit. Right out of the box, Cruz was trying to help give the Pirates a 2-0 lead, based on hustle alone. Even though the hotshot ended the inning, once Cruz got to the dugout, Kelly praised him and acknowledged the extra effort.

Cruz obviously didn't get the swing that he wanted, yet he still busted down the line trying to beat it out. That is a big step in the right direction, as his recent effort was raising a lot of concern. If Kelly hadn't stepped in, who knows what this could have led to? Cruz is turning into the face of the franchise, and Pittsburgh cannot afford simplistic effort issues for a player of that caliber.

Oneil Cruz's effort against the Cardinals shows Don Kelly's words are getting through in a positive way for Pirates.

The benching was not the only response Kelly had for Cruz's recent performances. Since that jogged out double play against the Brewers, Cruz has not appeared in the leadoff spot once. He has consistently batted fifth or sixth.

Kelly made the right decision moving Cruz down in the lineup, regardless of this effort situation, as it makes the most sense for his tools. It has made a big difference so far, too, as he is coming off a big two-homer game and is now playing much harder.

If the Pirates want any sort of success in the near future, Cruz needs to a part of it. Cruz giving it his all will also maximize his talents, as his tools are remarkable. Right as things were slipping for Cruz, thankfully, Kelly stepped in and disciplined him, and the future is aleady starting to look better for the Pirates.