CHICAGO -- “OK,” David Bednar recalled thinking to himself. “Just trust it and let it rip."
If he didn’t, then odds are those two runners in scoring position would come home and the game would be over in the worst way. Entrusted with a one-run lead Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field, and day removed from the most lopsided loss in franchise history, this would be even more demoralizing after the bullpen had once again picked up the team to this point.
Behind 2-0 to Willson Contreras, it was time to pump heat.
“Just trying to blow some doors,” Bednar said. “That’s really all it was.”
There went the doors.
He closed the afternoon with six straight fastballs to Contreras and Frank Schwindel. Schwindel took one for a strike. He and Contreras swung at the other five. They came up empty each time.
With that, the Pirates were able to stave off the Cubs, 4-3, and take three of four in the series.
He finished off Contreras with 98-mph, high and tight with 10 inches of run, a lot of it coming late:
“Competitive heater,” is how Bednar described the pitch to me.
That goes double for the sequence he used to finish off Schwindel. Three straight heaters:
The entire -- and wholly unfair -- duel between David Bednar and Frank Schwindel with bases loaded, a one-run lead and two outs in the ninth:pic.twitter.com/sGE5Xbvs4v
— Dejan Kovacevic (@Dejan_Kovacevic) April 24, 2022
It’s not a surprise that Bednar has that heat in his back pocket. As Derek Shelton put it, “Guys know that he's got it, and he went right after it.” The Cubs had even seen it twice already this series.
It’s another to see it in a game again.
“Everybody thinks it's just the fastball, but the curveball and the splitter are good pitches,” Shelton said. “When you have to cover 98 and you have to cover the other two, it makes it challenging.”
Very true, but that fastball …
“That’s probably the best fastball I’ve seen since ...” Roberto Pérez told me before pausing, thinking it over. “... man, in a long time.”
Coming from Pérez, a man who has caught All-Stars and Cy Young winners, a statement like that carries weight.
“He’s special,” Pérez said. “He’s not backing off from anything.”
GETTY
Bryan Reynolds, Ben Gamel and Jake Marisnick celebrate the Pirates' victory in the Wrigley Field outfield Sunday.
• Bednar needed a couple fastballs from right field to help preserve that lead, too.
Jake Marisnick started in center field for the first eight innings before sliding over to right field in the bottom half of the ninth inning so Bryan Reynolds could enter defensively after serving as the designated hitter. The move worked wonders, putting one of the game's best defensive outfielders in the spot the Pirates needed him most.
With one out, Rafael Ortega launched a laser off the wall in right, potentially putting the tying-run 90 feet away. Marisnick made a good read, pickup and throw from right, making Ortega reconsider halfway to third before retreating to second:
"Hell of a play," said Shelton. "Changed the game."
That saved base proved to be pivotal when Seiya Suzuki dropped a blooper to right. Ortega held between second and third waiting to see if Marisnick could make the play.
“In my head, I know he’s going to hold up to see if the ball is going to fall, so I know I’ve got time to make a throw,” Marisnick told me.
Again, the throw was perfect:
Marisnick was one of several Pirates feeling under the weather, making those throws -- and his willingness to play -- even more impressive to his manager.
"Every time I asked him today, he told me it was fine," Shelton said. "I know he was lying to me, but I appreciate the fact that he grinded through it."
• JT Brubaker was another guy who was dealing with that bug that has been running through the clubhouse, to the point that Shelton and the rest of the team didn't know if he would be able to start when it was Saturday night.
He was able to take the bump, and while his fastball was down over 2 mph on average, he did give three innings while allowing just two runs, only one earned.
"It was a gutsy effort by him," Shelton said.
Chris Stratton, Wil Crowe and Dillon Peters continued to excel in relief, as well, combining for 4 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings.
Heath Hembree did allow a solo shot to Ian Happ in the eighth.
• After the 21-0 loss Saturday, there were a few players like Daniel Vogelbach and Pérez who walked around the clubhouse and told guys that it was one game.
Even with that loss, the Pirates can hold their heads high knowing they took three out of four this series.
"We didn't let it slide," Pérez said. "...It's a special group here."
• Quick farm report: Oneil Cruz's first home run for Class AAA Indianapolis was a walkoff, as Cory Giger reports.
• Before the game, the Pirates selected the contract of right-hander Beau Sulser and promoted him to the majors. The 27-year-old sinker-baller has allowed just three earned runs over 12 2/3 innings for Indianapolis.
"I think last year, I did well but it was about finding consistency," Sulser said about why he was clicking early. "I tried to do a little bit too much and it was my first year in AAA. Just staying grounded, and we did some mechanical stuff to allow me to be more repeatable. I think that's gone a long way."
Sulser's older brother, Cole, is a pitcher for the Marlins, and Beau got to talk to him Sunday after the move was made official.
"I called him today when we made it official, and he was just fired up," Sulser said. "He was in the clubhouse getting ready, so he couldn't talk long. He said he loves me, congratulations and have fun today. He told me to get out here today before the game starts and look around so that if I get the ball today, it's not the first time I'm seeing the stadium."
• To make room on the major-league and 40 man roster, Anthony Alford was designated for assignment.
Alford had just been activated off the injured list Friday after missing the end of spring training with a hand injury. However, with several pitchers battling an undisclosed illness at the moment, the Pirates needed more depth.
"When your roster is built a certain way, we have a casualty," Shelton said. "Unfortunately it has to be Anthony. It’s a challenging conversation. Anthony Alford the person is a wonderful human being. Those suck. Those are the worst part of the job. Telling Beau Sulser he’s gonna be a big-leaguer is the good part. That part sucks."
• Factoid of the game: The Pirates had a -17 run differential and still won the four-game series. No team has ever been outscored by that much and still won a four-game set.
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
• Live file
• Standings
• Statistics
• Schedule
• Scoreboard
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE INJURIES
• 10-day injured list: LHP Sam Howard (back), RHP Duane Underwood (hamstring), RHP Max Kranick (forearm)
• 60-day injured list: OF Greg Allen (hamstring), RHP Blake Cederlind (UCL), RHP Nick Mears (elbow surgery)
THE LINEUPS
Shelton's card:
1. Diego Castillo, RF
2. Bryan Reynolds, DH
3. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
4. Michael Chavis, 2B
5. Yoshi Tsutsugo, 1B
6. Roberto Pérez, C
7. Kevin Newman, SS
8. Jake Marisnick, CF
9. Ben Gamel, LF
And for David Ross' Cubs:
1. Rafael Ortega, DH
2. Seiya Suzuki, RF
3. Wilson Contreras, C
4. Ian Happ, LF
5. Frank Schwindel, 1B
6. Jonathan Villar, SS
7. Jason Heyward, CF
8. Patrick Wisdom, 3B
9. Nick Madrigal, 2B
THE SCHEDULE
The Pirates get an off-day Monday -- their first scheduled since April 8 -- before welcoming the Brewers to PNC Park for a three-game set starting Tuesday. Mitch Keller (0-3, 6.23) will try to build off his strong outing last time out against Brandon Woodruff (2-1, 4.30). First pitch is 6:35 p.m.
THE CONTENT
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