Pittsburgh Pirates Fans Boo Star Closer David Bednar After Yet Another Blown Save
All-Star reliever David Bednar blew his third save in four tries on Tuesday, leading Pittsburgh Pirates fans at PNC Park to turn on their own player.
All-Star closer David Bednar has not been on his A-game as of late, and Pittsburgh Pirates fans didn't let him forget it.
Bednar entered Tuesday's contest against the Detroit Tigers with his team leading 3-1 in the top of the ninth. The 29-year-old reliever walked the first batter he saw, then plunked the second.
The Tigers scored two runs on the next play, in part due to Michael A. Taylor's error in center, and they ultimately took a 5-3 lead following a pair of RBI singles. Bednar had blown the save, and he got stuck with the loss as well after Pittsburgh failed to score in the bottom of the frame.
On top of costing the Pirates a win, Bednar's performance down the stretch spoiled 8.0 innings of one-run ball from starter Martín Pérez.
Given that it was his third blown save in his last four opportunities, the fans at PNC Park booed Bednar mid-play, as well as when he came off the mound.
As Bednar was getting interviewed by the media in the clubhouse postgame, first baseman Rowdy Tellez butted in to share his thoughts on what went down.
"This is the pride of Pittsburgh," Tellez said with his hand on Bednar's shoulder. "To everybody, we don't that out here. We're a good team, we're winning for a reason. We're gonna get our man back on track, but what happened today is, I think, unacceptable. And we, as a group, in Pittsburgh, gotta be better. He's an All-Star for a reason and we just have to be better."
Bednar finished eighth in NL Rookie of the Year voting back in 2021, going 3-1 with a 2.23 ERA, 0.973 WHIP and 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He was named an All-Star in each of the next two seasons, even leading the National League with 39 saves in 2023.
Entering 2024, Bednar boasted a 2.25 ERA, 1.063 WHIP, 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings and 5.9 WAR in the prior three seasons combined.
A few weeks into this season, Bednar is 1-1 with a 12.46 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
Still, the Pirates are sitting atop the NL Central at 9-3.
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