PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Some week for the Bednar family in Valencia. Sunday their youngest son, Will, has a one-in-a-25-year game at the College World Series. Tuesday night, their oldest son got his first major league win at home.
David Bednar faced only two hitters, giving up a single and getting a ground ball out. Bednar held the White Sox comeback to three off starter Tyler Anderson and ended up with that first MLB victory after his teammates rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh.
"I just got the beer shower," Bednar said. "A little bit of beer, a little bit of pop, a little bit of baby powder. You name it, whatever was in that clubhouse, got showered with it. It was awesome."
"Bednar is awesome," said shortstop Kevin Newman. "He's a great teammate, great person. Fun to be around, great clubhouse guy. We were all super happy for him to get the win. He had a huge smile on his face. We didn't need to say anything because everyone was cheering so loud."
"Great guy, great mood all the time," said starter Tyler Anderson. "You want to see him do well all the time. Obviously comes in and did a good job and was able to get a W out of that which is awesome. Especially hometown, doing it here was pretty cool too."
"It's really cool for him," said Pirates manager Derek Shelton. "First big league win, home ballpark, that's pretty special. It's been a pretty good week for the Bednar family."
That's an understatement as his brother, Will, struck out 15 in 6 innings in a Mississippi State win over Texas in the College World Series on Sunday. It was the most dominating performance in that tournament since former Pirate first round pick Kris Benson in 1996.
With the Bulldogs in the CWS, his parents flew to Omaha, so they missed tonight's achievement. But David knows they are happy for him and his brother.
"I can't even imagine," David Bednar said of his father's reaction to his first win. "I know he was beyond fired up watching my brother go at it the other day. They are beyond ecstatic for him. To see the success he's having is awesome."
Success also for older brother. The 6'1", 245-pound righty is now 1-1 with a 3.71 ERA with 36 strikeouts to 8 walks in 26.2 innings in his first season with the Pirates after coming over in the Joe Musgrove trade.
"He goes right after guys," Shelton said. "We are starting to see this guy grow before our eyes."
"As the year goes on you build a little more confidence and trust in my stuff," Bednar said. "You feed off it and just go after guys. I would say that's my montra this whole year. Go after guys, compete in the zone and good things tend to happen."
Now his first big league win in the ballpark he came to all the time as a kid.
"You really can't (put into words)," Bednar said. "Coming to games growing up, it was always just fun. I always had big aspirations to play here. Never in my wildest dreams thought it would come true. Just beyond blessed to have the opportunity that I have right now."
He has to know a place or two to celebrate. How will the 26-year-old mark his big night?
"Honestly probably nothing too crazy," Bednar said. "Might just have some ice cream later or something like that. 12:35 game tomorrow, quick turnaround."
