Bednar (1-5) took the loss Sunday against the Cubs, allowing an unearned run on one hit and one walk with a strikeout over one-third of an inning.
Bednar took the hill in the bottom of the 10th frame and intentionally walked Kyle Tucker to lead off the inning before a double steal put a pair of runners in scoring position with no outs. While Bednar would strike out Jon Berti immediately after, Ian Happ delivered a walk-off base hit. It was the first run Bednar had allowed in his last nine innings. Bednar has converted on all 10 of his save chances in 2025, owning a 3.38 ERA and a 34:5 K:BB over 24 innings.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Collects 10th save
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Bednar earned the save against the Cubs on Friday after tossing a perfect 10th inning.
Bednar was brought in for the 10th frame to protect the Pirates' 2-1 lead and took care of the top of the Cubs' order on just 13 pitches (11 strikes). He's recorded a save in four of his last five outings and has converted all 10 save opportunities this season. Bednar has a 3.42 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 33:5 K:BB across 23.2 innings this season.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Notches ninth save
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Bednar struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Wednesday to record his ninth save of the season in a 5-2 win over the Marlins.
The right-hander fanned Kyle Stowers and Xavier Edwards to lock down his sixth straight successful save conversion since May 20. Over that 10-appearance span, Bednar has delivered a 0.96 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and 12:2 K:BB in 9.1 innings, and the 30-year-old appears to have fully regained the elite form he seemed to have lost during a rough 2024, and an even worse beginning to 2025.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Collects first win of season
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Bednar (1-4) picked up the win Friday, striking out the side in the ninth inning of a 5-4 victory over the Phillies.
With the score tied 4-4 in the top of the ninth, Bednar carved up the Phillies' 8-9-1 hitters on 14 pitches (10 strikes), including an impressive three-pitch whiff of the red-hot Trea Turner to end the frame. The Bucs then pushed a run home to walk it off and get their closer his first win of the year. The right-hander appears to be back in top form and rewarding the organization's faith in him after a rough 2024 and early-season demotion in 2025 -- since rejoining the big-league roster in mid-April, Bednar has a 2.75 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 29:3 K:BB through 19.2 innings while converting all six of his save chances.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Picks up seventh save
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Bednar earned the save in Wednesday's 3-0 win over the Astros, allowing one hit while striking out two in a scoreless ninth inning.
Bednar has now turned in five straight scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out five in that span. After a shaky start to the year, the 30-year-old Bednar has lowered his ERA to 4.12 with a 1.32 WHIP and 27:5 K:BB across 19.2 innings while logging seven saves. He's recorded the last three saves for Pittsburgh and may be separating himself from Dennis Santana in the closer committee.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Perfect inning for save
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Bednar struck out two in a perfect inning to earn the save in Tuesday's 9-6 win over the Diamondbacks.
Bednar has earned three saves over his last four appearances. He had allowed a baserunner in each of his last three outings before Tuesday's clean inning. The right-hander is still on shaky ground, as he's been scored on in four of his 11 appearances in May, allowing five runs over 9.2 innings with a 15:2 K:BB. Overall, he has a 4.86 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 24:5 K:BB through 16.2 innings in the majors this season, and he's added six saves and three holds.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Secures fifth save
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Bednar picked up the save in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Brewers. He allowed one hit, no walks and a hit by pitch while striking out none over a scoreless inning.
Bednar didn't spare the dramatics Saturday, plunking Caleb Durbin and giving up a base hit to Joey Ortiz before inducing a Brice Turang double play to close out the game. The right-hander faltered in a non-save situation Friday, surrendering a solo home run and issuing two walks before being pulled after recording only one out. The 30-year-old has struggled mightily this season, pitching to a 5.17 ERA and 1.60 WHIP across 15.2 innings in 19 appearances. Bednar has recorded two of Pittsburgh's past three saves, but he still appears to be splitting closer work with Dennis Santana.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Notches first save since return
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Bednar walked one and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his second save of the season in a 3-0 win over the Dodgers.
The right-hander wrapped up the combined shutout with his first save since he re-joined the big-league roster last weekend. Bednar hasn't allowed a run in four appearances since his return with a 7:1 K:BB, and Dennis Santana worked a scoreless eighth inning Friday for his fourth hold, so the Pirates appear ready to give the 30-year-old another shot at the closer role.
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Pirates' David Bednar: First appearance since recall
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Bednar allowed two hits and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday against the Guardians.
Bednar was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday and immediately made an appearance. He entered the game with the Pirates down 3-0 in the final inning and struck out the final two batters he faced after allowing consecutive singles. Dennis Santana has performed adequately as Pittsburgh's closer, but Bednar should work his way back into high-leverage work if he pitches well.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Pirates optioned Bednar to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday.
Bednar really struggled last season and has been tagged for four runs (three earned) over three appearances while recording just three outs so far this season. The Pirates have elected to have him work out his issues in a less pressurized environment. Dennis Santana and Colin Holderman are the top candidates for saves in the Pirates' bullpen.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Fails to register an out again
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Bednar (0-2) took the loss Sunday against the Marlins, allowing a run on one hit while not securing any outs.
Bednar capped off an opening weekend to forget in Miami, as he suffered his second walk-off loss in three appearances on the season. The Pittsburgh reliever allowed a leadoff hit to Derek Hill, who then stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw by Endy Rodriguez. Bednar subsequently allowed Hill to score on a wild splitter he threw in the dirt to Nick Fortes. The 30-year-old has now pitched to an unsightly 27.00 ERA and 5.00 WHIP while retiring just three of the nine batters he's faced over three outings. Bednar is likely skating on thin ice as the closer for the Pirates, who could turn to Colin Holderman or Dennis Santana in future save situations.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Escapes with save against Marlins
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Bednar (save) picked up the save against the Marlins on Friday in a 4-3 win but allowed two runs on one hit and one walk. He recorded one strikeout.
Bednar took the loss on Opening Day for Pittsburgh and nearly cost his club again. The 30-year-old entered the ninth inning with a comfortable 4-1 lead but immediately walked Matt Mervis before Otto Lopez took the first pitch he saw and redirected it 418 feet over the center field wall to get the Marlins within one run. Bednar then retired the next three batters, preserving the 4-3 win. It's indeed been a rough start to 2025 for the two-time All-Star, who struggled to a 5.77 ERA last season. If he can't find his way, he may be in jeopardy of losing save opportunities.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Takes Opening Day loss
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Bednar (0-1) was charged with the loss in Thursday's contest against the Marlins after he allowed one earned run off two hits and one walk while failing to record an out.
Bednar was called out of the bullpen in the bottom of the ninth with the game tied 4-4, and he surrendered the lead on just eight pitches via a triple, an intentional walk and a single. The 30-year-old opened the season as Pittsburgh's presumed closer despite his 5.77 ERA last year, and though Thursday wasn't a save situation, his rocky start to 2025 puts him on even shakier ground.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Cleaning performance up
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Bednar has thrown two scoreless innings with a 3:0 K:BB across his last two Grapefruit League outings.
The Pirates still haven't named a closer and Bednar had a pair of rocky outings -- one heavily influenced by poor defense -- in mid-March. However, he's managed to get on the right track as the regular season nears by not allowing a baserunner in his last two appearances.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Closer still not named
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Bednar is presumed to begin the season the Pirates' closer, but manager Derek Shelton elected not to officially name the team's closer Sunday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
It's the second time during spring training that Shelton has made clear a decision at closer has yet to be made, though the skipper also indicated Sunday that he's happy with how Bednar has look during spring training, despite a 14.40 ERA and 6:3 K:BB over five innings. After two consecutive All-Star seasons in 2022 and 2023, the right-hander struggled to a 5.77 ERA in 62 appearances last year and was removed from the closer role down the stretch.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Implodes against Twins
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Bednar allowed five earned runs on three hits and two walks across one-third of an inning during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.
This marked Bednar's fifth appearance of the spring, and he had maintained a 5:1 K:BB while allowing only one earned run across his first four innings. However, Thursday's outing was particularly concerning in light of Bednar's struggles in 2024, when he posted a 5.77 ERA and 1.42 WHIP while being removed from the closer role to end the year. The departure of Aroldis Chapman this offseason likely gives Bednar some leeway for save chances to begin the campaign, but he'll need to perform to maintain the role.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Takes eighth loss
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Bednar (3-8) was charged with a blown save and took the loss against the Cardinals on Wednesday, allowing three runs (two earned) on one hit and one walk over one-third of an inning.
Bednar entered the contest with the score tied in the bottom of the seventh and proceeded to give up a leadoff homer to Masyn Winn on a hanging curveball. The right-handed reliever would then manage to retire just one of the next three batters he faced before being relieved by Jalen Beeks, who didn't fare any better. It marked the seventh blown save of the season for Bednar, with his previous one coming back on Aug. 28, just before he was removed from the closer role. He's now allowed at least one run in three of his last six appearances and carries a 5.14 ERA in the month of September to go along with a dreadful 6:8 K:BB.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Earns 23rd save
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Bednar earned the save against the Reds on Friday, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out one over a scoreless ninth inning.
Bednar was summoned to protect a 6-5 lead in the ninth frame and put runners on the corners with two outs before getting Elly De La Cruz to line out. It was just his third scoreless outing in nine August appearances, but the closer has converted three consecutive save chances. On the year, Bednar has converted 23 of 28 save attempts with a 5.56 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 49:16 K:BB across 45.1 innings.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Takes loss vs. Rangers
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Bednar (3-6) took the loss Wednesday against the Rangers, allowing a run on three hits over two-thirds of an inning. He struck out one.
With the game scoreless in the bottom of the ninth, Bednar allowed a pair of singles to lead off the frame. He managed to retire Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Jung before giving up a two-out, walk-off single to Wyatt Langford. It's the third loss in six outings for Bednar, who's allowed nine earned runs in his last nine innings. His ERA is up to 5.68 on the season with a 1.35 WHIP and 48:15 K:BB across 44.1 innings. Bednar has 22 saves in 27 chances this year, though he could lose work in the ninth to Aroldis Chapman if his struggles continue.
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Pirates' David Bednar: Another clean outing
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Bednar struck out one without allowing a baserunner in a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday against the Rangers.
Bednar allowed at least one earned run in six consecutive outings from July 29 to Aug. 16, and he also blew two saves and took two losses in that span. Nevertheless, he has maintained the closer role and has now turned in consecutive scoreless appearances. If Bednar can remain on track, he should be a decent source of saves the rest of the season.
