Pirates closer David Bednar, a Mars alum, selected to All-Star Game
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The Renegade is going to Hollywood.
Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar, a Mars alum, was selected to represent his hometown team at the 92nd All-Star Game on July 19 at Dodger Stadium.
“Unbelievable,” Bednar said. “Pittsburgh holds a special place in my heart. It’s home. It’s unbelievable. To represent Pittsburgh and the Pirates and this team in L.A. is going to be really special, really cool.”
Bednar is the first Pirates player from the WPIAL to be selected to the All-Star Game since shortstop Dick Groat of Swissvale in 1962.
“That’s really cool, when you get a guy that deserves it,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “To be able to represent his hometown team, that’s pretty sick.”
Shelton delivered the news inside the clubhouse after the Pirates’ 8-6 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field, gifting Bednar a bottle of champagne and a 30-pack of I.C. Light.
“He knows the key to my heart, I guess,” Bednar said, with a laugh, about the beer. “Everybody in the room was pumped up. It was a really cool way to find out.”
Earlier today David Bednar was selected to his 1st MLB All-Star game and our @ATTSportsNetPIT camera was there to capture the moment. Check it out! pic.twitter.com/usJxhSRHLj
— AT&T SportsNet™ PIT (@ATTSportsNetPIT) July 10, 2022
It marks the first All-Star appearance for Bednar, who was acquired from the San Diego Padres in the Joe Musgrove trade in January 2021. Bednar is 3-2 with a 2.63 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 15 saves in 41 innings over 34 appearances. He has made 10 multi-inning appearances and recorded an NL-leading five multi-inning saves this season.
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Bednar had four strikeouts in two innings three times: at the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 30, in an eight-out save at the St. Louis Cardinals on June 15 and in a 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants on June 19 at PNC Park.
Bednar was named NL Reliever of the Month in May, when he was 2-1 with a 1.65 ERA and seven saves in 161⁄3 innings over 21 appearances.
He followed that with a 5.40 ERA in June, when he dealt with lower back soreness, but rebounded with strong performances against the Cardinals and Giants. He made an emphatic case for an All-Star bid Tuesday, when he got baseball’s home run leader, Aaron Judge, to go down looking at a called third strike for the final out in a 5-2 win over the New York Yankees at PNC Park.
GRAB SOME BENCH! @david_bednar getting nasty to close it out against Judge and the Yankees! ????⚾️????☠️#dawgsfamily #oneofus #raiseit #areyounext pic.twitter.com/Ants3yXSsp
— PITTSBURGH DIAMOND DAWGS BASEBALL (@PghDawgs) July 6, 2022
Shelton credited Bednar’s ability to execute his four-seam fastball, curveball and splitter to average 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
“The one thing that stands out is he’s pretty calm in all situations,” Shelton said. “He’s pitching himself into this. He pitched last year in some leverage roles. He’s deserved and earned the ability to pitch the ninth inning. Because of it, he’s an All-Star.”
If Bednar can remain healthy, Pirates designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach believes there’s more to come.
“He’s a competitor. That’s what you want in the back end of the bullpen. You feel like every time you give him the ball, we’re going to win,” Vogelbach said. “He’s an All-Star for a reason. He deserves every single minute of it. If I were a betting man, I wouldn’t think this would be his last All-Star Game. He’s elite, and I’m glad he’s on our team.”