Struggling Pirates closer David Bednar booed at home - ESPN

PITTSBURGH — David Bednar's first three seasons in Pittsburgh largely have been charmed ones as the hometown kid developed into a two-time All-Star closer for a team convinced it's on the rise.

And while the Pirates might be on their way to contention, Bednar is faltering. The right-hander blew his third save in four chances on Tuesday when Detroit rallied for a 5-3 win.

The most jarring moment wasn't the walk or the two batters he hit that fueled the Tigers' comeback, but the sound of Bednar being booed at home by a crowd that has emphatically embraced him from the moment he arrived from San Diego in the January 2021 trade that sent Joe Musgrove to the Padres.

While Bednar, who spent most of spring training sidelined with a lat injury, took responsibility for his performance, his teammates are more concerned about the way he was treated by fans when he left the game.

«This is the pride of Pittsburgh,» first baseman Rowdy Tellez said. «To everybody: We don't do that out here.… What happened today is, I think, unacceptable. We as a group in Pittsburgh have got to be better. He's an All-Star for a reason and we just have to be better.»

Bednar, 29, called Tellez's support «huge» but added he's in a tough spot at the moment.

Bednar grew up in the suburb of Mars, about 30 minutes from PNC Park, and has been a fixture at the back end of the bullpen for the past two seasons. He's piled up 58 saves in that span behind a dazzling fastball and a combative attitude on the mound.

The lifelong fan of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers typically takes the mound to the rock song «Renegade» by Styx, which serves as a call to arms for the Steelers' defense during home games at nearby Acrisure Stadium.

While the Pirates are off to a 9-3 start,