PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – He’s been so good since joining the Pirates in the Joe Musgrove trade. Last year he converted 39 of 42 save opportunities, in 2022 he converted all but four. In the last two days a pair of blown saves for two-time All-Star David Bednar as the Pirates fall 7-6 to the Padres Thursday afternoon.
“That’s just unacceptable,” Bednar said. “The guys battle back both games, and it’s just a big-time letdown on my end. Today was incredibly frustrating, just a lot of free stuff, and that just can’t happen."
Bednar was a little unlucky in that the leadoff hitter of the ninth, Xander Bogaerts, had an infield single that hugged the grass on the third base line, but he hurt himself with a pair of walks and then trying to turn a double play, and end the inning, Oneil Cruz threw it away allowing the winning run to score. A double would give the Padres a two-run lead.
“I mean it was just fastball command,” said Pirates manager Derek Shelton. “He gives up the soft single to Xander to start it off, and then wasn't close with Merrill. I think the Kim at-bat was the big at-bat. It looked like he kind of cut across four straight fastballs, or four fastballs in that. I knew he threw a breaking ball for a strike. But, threw just four fastballs that were not close."
“I need to command the zone better, make better pitches, execute better and when I don’t do that, it comes to bite me back,” Bednar said. “It’s a command issue, and I’ve just got to figure it out and get back on it.”
The 29-year-old has given up runs in each of his last four appearances, 3.2 innings, six earned runs on seven hits. In his last five appearances, Bednar has walked seven or half of the 14 he’s walked all season.
“Just go give him confidence,” said catcher Joey Bart of supporting Bednar. “He's done it a lot of times. There's no hiding that. The guy knows how to end games, just been scuffling a little bit. I know we got full support of him. We know he'll bring it.”
“This game's hard and it's relentless. It will keep coming and it won't stop. You just know you gotta fight through it and that's what's gonna happen to everybody, offensively, defensively, out there in the bullpen with everything going on. We'll find a way through it.”
It stings even more as the Pirates have given up 13 runs in the last three innings of the last four games, all losses to teams ahead of them in the standings
“It’s incredibly tough,” Bednar said. “It sucks. There’s no other way around it. These guys battled their butts off, and to be in the position, up in the ninth, I should be able to convert those. And especially the past two nights, not being able to is tough.”
“But you know what? I’m confident I’ll be able to get through this, and I’ll be able to convert this next couple.”
The Pirates remain four back of the last playoff spot, but now have three teams between themselves and the postseason.