David Bednar earned a save against the Rangers on Monday, finishing a ninth inning that got loose before New York could close out the win. He entered with a three-run lead, gave up a leadoff single and then retired the next two batters before the inning turned on an error and a late hit.
With two outs, Jazz Chisholm booted a grounder to second base, and Texas followed with a single that brought in an unearned run. Bednar then got the third out to wrap up the New York victory, allowing one unearned run on two hits while striking out one batter over one inning.
The save was his eighth in nine chances this season, a pace that has put Bednar second in MLB in saves. That matters because every one of those late outs has carried more weight as the season has moved along, and Monday’s outing showed both the margin for error and his ability to finish the job when the inning stopped going cleanly.
The hitch in the ninth was not his alone, but it still nearly changed the shape of the finish. Bednar did his part after the first single and again after the error, and when Texas finally got the run across, he still had enough left to take the last out and keep the lead intact.