Bednar battles to stay afloat -- albeit barely -- by staying aggressive

As a ball off the bat of Elly De La Cruz sailed out into left field with the potential tying run preparing to cross home plate, David Bednar watched in anticipation as Billy McKinney sprinted toward it. Bednar has had his share of rough outings that have resulted in squandered leads, blown saves and heartbreaking defeats this month, so when he saw McKinney ultimately make a sliding catch to preserve the Pirates' 6-5 come-from-behind win over the Reds Friday night at PNC Park, he pointed out to left field in acknowledgement of McKinney and let out a sigh of relief: 

"That was awesome," Bednar recalled of that reaction. "Awesome play. And what a play to seal the game." 

It didn't just seal the game, though. McKinney's final catch, which occurred with runners on the corners after a leadoff double by Will Benson and a two-out walk to Jonathan India, also helped Bednar secure a positive result during a stretch in which those have been few and far between. He now has 23 saves this season and converted on his third straight opportunity since blowing two chances Aug. 7-8. During a month in which he's allowed nine runs (eight earned) on 14 hits in nine innings over nine appearances, Bednar has also suffered three losses, including two in which he allowed walkoff hits to the Dodgers' Teoscar Hernandez Aug. 11 in Los Angeles and the Rangers' Wyatt Langford Wednesday in Arlington, Texas. 

Derek Shelton said he was proud of Bednar's effort in the face of a pressure situation Friday. Those haven't gone his way as of late, but his ability to stay aggressive certainly helped his cause. In the eyes of Shelton, that's not something he's done during this recent stretch.

"I think in the times in the past we'd seen him, when guys got on base, maybe be a little tentative," Shelton said. "Today was kind of like the David Bednar we're used to where he just stayed right after, and I think it highlights that he went right after Elly. This guy is a dynamic player, one of the better young players in the game and he went right after him and just trusted his stuff which I think is important because he's got really good stuff."

After giving up the leadoff double to Benson, Bednar got two quicks outs on a strikeout of Santiago Espinal, who was 3 for 3 entering the at-bat, and a TJ Friedl flyout that allowed Benson to move into third. Bednar consistently attacked the zone with curveballs and splitters against Espinal before eventually getting him to swing through an 0-2 fastball up and out of the zone at 98. Then, further proving Shelton's point, Bednar didn't shy away from throwing one over the plate to De La Cruz with the tying run 90 feet away: 

As of late, Bednar has been plagued by a lack of pitch execution. He's been hurt by fastballs left either over the heart of the plate or up in the zone. This time, he spotted a 98 mph heater low and in to De La Cruz and got the fly ball he needed to briefly right the ship.

"I think the expectation is for him to go after people and use his stuff, and I think at times he's gotten away from that," Shelton said. "We just want him to trust his stuff and go right at hitters."

Bednar has been more than accountable during his recent struggles, calling his second of back-to-back blown saves earlier this month "unacceptable" and acknowledging the need to be better during a span of six straight appearances in which he allowed a run. Through it all, he's maintained confidence in himself and, despite the fact that he allowed the game-winning run against the Rangers Wednesday, he's managed to claw his way back a bit in allowing just one run over his last 3 2/3 innings. A short sample, yes, but a step in a positive direction. 

"Obviously, there have been some rough patches, but I still have complete confidence in myself and my stuff every single time I go out there," Bednar said. "It's just a matter of just keep on going, keep your foot on the gas. It's a long season, a lot of stuff can happen. Move onto the next one and just keep your foot on the gas." 

Shelton's confidence in Bednar hasn't appeared to waver, either. That's why he's stuck by him through these late-game collapses rather than removing him from the closer's role and giving him a break from high-leverage spots. 

"He's been really good for two years, and I think you have faith in your players, you have faith in what your process is, and you have to have trust," Shelton said. "The other thing is, he has really good stuff. We've just got to get him to trust it."

Bednar acknowledged the importance of working through tough times and coming out better on the other side. He did it earlier this year when he overcame an unremarkable month of April to feel more like himself in May and June. Over those latter two months, Bednar converted on all 11 of his save opportunities and limited opposing teams to just five runs in 21 1/3 innings over 22 appearances. 

Bednar has some work to do in order to experience a complete turnaround, but he's seemingly on a better path with a more aggressive approach to his ninth-inning duties and some positive results to build on moving forward. 

"It's huge to learn from your mistakes and learn from what we got beat on in the past. As long as you learn from it, you can spin it into a positive," Bednar said. "Obviously, it sucks. Nobody wants to go through it. But in the long run, I think I'll be better off and able to make those adjustments and come out on top and win some big games for us."