As I wrote after the last time David Bednar pitched, our opinion on whether a manager made the right call or the wrong one is almost always based on the result of that decision. If a pinch hitter comes through or a reliever gets the out he was brought in to obtain, then the manager is a genius. If that pinch hitter grounds into a double play or the reliever gives up a run, then the manager is an incompetent boob who couldn’t see why his decision was so obviously destined to fail.
Derek Shelton announced on Thursday that if the Pirates had a save situation that night, Bednar would pitch. I can understand wanting to back your guy when he’s struggling, but his declaration to go back to Bednar so soon after Tuesday’s meltdown caused some consternation among Bucco fans, myself included. I certainly don’t think Bednar is washed or anything, but I also felt he should show at least once that he was capable of throwing strikes in a non-save situation before coming in to close another ballgame. As the Phils pulled away late on Thursday, I was hoping Shelton would let Bednar get some work in the 8th — a very low-pressure situation. Instead, Shelton held back his closer to pitch the 9th on Friday, trying to save the game and secure the win after another strong start for Bailey Falter (which is not a phrase I imagined writing this year).
I’m not sure I would have thrust Bednar back into a big situation so suddenly, but in fairness to Shelton this was probably the best kind of save situation that he could have brought his scuffling closer into. Bednar had a 3-run lead, and he was facing the bottom third of Philadelphia’s order. I wasn’t able to watch the game, but I felt an odd sense of calm after reading the alert on my phone that Bednar was coming in for the 9th. And Bednar did nothing to shatter my serene mood, setting the Phils down in order on a strikeout, a flyout, and a groundout.
I try not to base my own judgements of Shelton’s managing on the results, but in 2024, the on-field results are what the Bucs’ manager is being judged for. Shelton at least had a good argument for putting Bednar into a low-pressure save situation, and it worked out beautifully. I said on Tuesday that I haven’t praised Shelton enough for how well he’s pushed the buttons in this young campaign, so let me atone for that here: nice job, Shelty.
Bucco Ball 