Blue Jays Infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa Makes Remarks About Former Team After Big Hit

One of the newest members of the Toronto Blue Jays, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, delivered a clutch hit to tie the game against the Houston Astros that Toronto would go on to win.

In his postgame interview, Kiner-Falefa addressed the hit, but his comments will leave a sour taste in the mouths of Pittsburgh Pirates fans.

“I kind of visualized it, walking up to the plate,” Kiner-Falefa told Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. “I went to Pittsburgh for this hit right here.”

While Kiner-Falefa may not have intended for his words to come across the way they did, his answer was an indirect dig at the Pirates. He’s all but saying his purpose of going there was to make himself better for a playoff team.

Players want to win, and nobody can blame Kiner-Falefa for wanting to chase a World Series. However, that wasn’t the reason he went to Pittsburgh.

To his credit, he turned things around in his time with the Pirates. He went into the organization as a defensive-first player, and he left the Steel City with an impact bat that could deliver in big moments.

His manager, John Schneider, certainly made note of his performance Tuesday.

“When someone’s got to step up a little bit, you feel pretty good that they’ve done it before,” Schneider told Bannon.

Kiner-Falefa is expected to split duties at shortstop with Ernie Clement until Bo Bichette returns from the injured list. The Blue Jays remain hopeful that happens before the playoffs begin.

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