'Big-time letdown' in 9th further strains Bucs' 'pen

PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates were in a tough position early in Thursday afternoon’s series finale against the Padres. Having dropped the first two games of the set in exhausting affairs -- the first due to a rain delay, the second due to extra-inning craziness -- they needed a statement win before flying to face the star-studded Dodgers in Los Angeles.

The Pirates came back from an early four-run deficit to take the lead in the seventh, but they blew the game in the ninth and fell, 7-6, at PNC Park.

With the loss, the Bucs dropped to 56-58. They began their homestand against the D-backs and the Padres -- two of the teams ahead of them in the standings -- 2 1/2 games out of a National League Wild Card spot. Now, they are 4 1/2 games back of the Mets for the final postseason spot.

Thursday’s loss was the Pirates’ 22nd one-run loss this season. Only the White Sox (24) and the Cubs (23) have more of them.

But another number that rose in the loss may have an even greater effect over the next few days: The Bucs blew their 24th save, the highest total behind only the White Sox (29).

For the second game in a row, David Bednar blew his save opportunity in the ninth. On Wednesday, with a 6-5 lead, he allowed the tying run to score, and the Pirates lost in the 10th inning. Then, on Thursday, protecting a 5-4 lead, he had trouble staying in the strike zone, especially with his fastball. It led to a three-run ninth inning for San Diego.

“That’s just unacceptable,” Bednar said. “The guys battle back both games, and it’s just a big-time letdown on my end. Today was incredibly frustrating. Just a lot of free stuff, and that just can’t happen.”

The Pirates’ options in the closer’s role are thin outside of Bednar. Colin Holderman was placed on the 15-day IL on Thursday with a right wrist sprain after allowing a run or more in each of his past five outings. Carmen Mlodzinski is also on the IL.

Aroldis Chapman would likely be the next-best option, but he has a 4.22 ERA in save situations this season vs. a 2.95 ERA in non-save situations. Beyond that, it would likely be a mix-and-match situation in the closer’s role, though Kyle Nicolas has made a case for himself over the past month and a half.

Nicolas’ usage on Thursday also illustrates the bullpen quagmire the Pirates face beyond the closer’s role heading into their series against the Dodgers. A two-hour, four-minute rain delay only an inning and a half into Tuesday’s game forced the bullpen to work sooner than anticipated, and Nicolas gave the Bucs 2 2/3 innings to help cover some of that load. It was the Pirates’ second rain delay of the homestand, on top of one that forced Mitch Keller out after only four innings vs. the D-backs on Saturday.

But when Bednar blew his save Thursday after 25 pitches, manager Derek Shelton had to call on Nicolas on one day’s rest to finish out the ninth.

“Today we were strapped,” Shelton said. “I give Kyle Nicolas a ton of credit. I mean he threw almost three innings the other day on [47] pitches and came in and got us some outs. [Dennis] Santana did a good job. [Jalen] Beeks did a good job again. Chapman was good after 29 pitches last night.

“So yeah, how we manage it is going to be a little bit [difficult] with our personnel because of the two [delays].”

The Pirates are going to have to be creative to weather this upcoming stretch at the Dodgers and the Padres, but Bednar knows that the biggest boon would be for him to clean up his command issues and give Shelton no doubts about the ninth. Nothing suggests that the team is ready to give someone else a chance in a save situation, and Bednar is hungry to prove he can help Pittsburgh turn the page from one-run losses to gritty wins.

“These guys battled their butts off, and to be in the position, up in the ninth, I should be able to convert those,” Bednar said. “And especially the past two nights, not being able to is tough. But you know what? I’m confident I’ll be able to get through this, and I’ll be able to convert this next couple.”