Bednar continues to be lights out for Bucs
PITTSBURGH — David Bednar’s baseball future remains unknown — possible National League all-star berth, possible trade bait.
The Mars graduate’s baseball present is very clear — and very good.
The Pirates’ closer was recently named National League Relief Pitcher of the Month for May. The right-hander earned seven of his team-leading nine saves in May, fashioning a 1.65 earned run average while striking out 21 and walking only two in 16.1 innings.
The last Pirate reliever to post such numbers in a single month was Jason Grilli in 2013.
“I just approach each outing the same,” said Bednar, who turns 28 in October. “I don’t care when they want me to enter a game. If it’s the seventh inning, ninth or whatever, I’m going to do the same thing: Get hitters out while being efficient with my pitches.”
Bednar has already had four saves of more than one inning. He leads all closers in the major leagues in multi-inning saves. He threw 50 pitches in two innings Monday night at Dodger Stadium, picking up his second win of the season in the ninth inning after registering his first blown save of the campaign in the eighth.
After that stint, Bednar was idle until this weekend series against Arizona at PNC Park.
“I’m good to go, beginning tonight,” he said Friday. “I loved the fact that they stayed with me (Monday night). I had a 50-pitch outing maybe once with San Diego, a couple of times in the minor leagues ... besides that, you have to go back to college or high school.
“I’m amped up at the time, so the pitch count doesn’t bother me. The Pirates are showing confidence in me when they have me pitch more than one inning late. The last thing I want is to let them down. As I’ve experienced success the past few years, my confidence in my pitches has increased.”
Since he was acquired from the Padres in the Joe Musgrove trade during the winter of 2021, Bednar has produced a 1.97 ERA in 82 appearances with the Pirates. He is their prime All-Star candidate and has been mentioned by MLB.com as one of the 10 major leaguers most likely to be traded before the deadline.
All Bednar cares about is pitching well — and pitching better.
“I want to get outs as quickly as I can get them,” he said. “I’m working on better command of all of my pitches. Getting ahead of hitters is everything.”
Bednar had an outing against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field this season in which he struck out the side in the ninth after allowing the potential tying and winning runs to get into scoring position with nobody out.
“Not an ideal situation,” he said. “But it was good to get out of it.”
With the Pirates playing well of late — winning four of their last five on a West Coast trip that included the club’s first three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium in 22 years — Bednar’s save opportunities may increase.
“Playing that well against two good teams out west showed us what we’re capable of doing,” Bednar said. “It was definitely a confidence boost for us. It was fun. We want to keep that momentum going now.”
While Bednar is enjoying his own success, he is also keeping up with youngher brother Will, who is pitching for Class A San Jose of the California League in the San Francisco Giants organization. The younger Bednar — a pitcher who turns 22 June 13 — was the Giants’ first-round draft selection last summer.
“We talk on the phone every day, keep up with each other,” David Bednar said. “I’m pulling for him as much as I’m pulling for myself.”
Will Bednar is 0-2 with a 4.37 ERA in 10 starts at San Jose. He has 44 strikeouts and 18 walks in 35 innings pitched.
Will is averaging 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings this season, David 12.1 per nine innings. Both throw high-powered, moving fastballs.
“Just get out there and go at them,” David Bednar said of pitching. “That’s the only way I know.”
More in Professional
