Don Kelly, who went 59-65 after taking over as interim manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates after Derek Shelton was fired in early May, has received a contract extension, the team announced Monday.

A season that began with the club hoping to return to contention for the first time in a decade quickly disintegrated during a nightmarish 12-26 start that led to Shelton's firing May 8 .

Kelly, who served as bench coach under Shelton, went 32-33 after the All-Star break, and the 45-year-old was lauded by club brass for his performance in the interim role.

"Donnie has earned the respect of the players, front office, and our fans -- and he has certainly earned mine," Pirates chair Bob Nutting said in a statement. "Donnie took over the team at a true low point. Since then, we've seen meaningfu

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