How David Bednar saved a valuable Yankees victory, and maybe himself too
David Bednar's ninth-inning save wasn't a thing of beauty, but he sealed a 7-6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium.
NEW YORK – Here was David Bednar in Monday’s nervous ninth inning, taking all of Yankee Stadium on another turbulent and uncertain ride. “At the end of the day, it’s just finding a way,’’ Bednar said after – eventually – saving a little more than a 7-6 win against the defending AL champion Blue Jays. Bednar saved the Yanks from the strong possibility of a second straight heartbreaking defeat, which would’ve been their eighth loss in 10 games.
He saved the home run heroics of Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr. , each with a two-out, two-run homer off Yariel Rodriguez to provide a two-run lead in the seventh. And, who knows, Bednar might’ve saved himself from at least a timeout in the closer’s spot.
Monday night’s 36-pitch Bednar epic came on the heels of Sunday’s blown save in the Subway Series finale, with a three-run lead and two outs against the Mets. Nothing had come easy for Bednar during the last road trip, starting with Brice Turang’s walk-off homer at Milwaukee, and Monday’s important homestand opener was no different. Except that he was in the handshake line at the end.
“There’s a way out of every situation. It comes down to executing one pitch at a time and slowing it all down,’’ said Bednar. “As simple as it sounds, it’s a lot tougher to do.