Santana (1-1) picked up the win in Sunday's 4-3 victory over Atlanta, pitching a clean inning with one strikeout.
The 29-year-old fired a clean ninth inning in a 3-3 tie, requiring only 11 pitches, eight of which were strikes. Santana was then credited with his first win of the season when Joey Bart drove home the winning run in the bottom of the frame. Santana, who is battling with David Bednar for the closer role in Pittsburgh, bagged the latest Pirates' save in Friday's contest. Through 17.1 innings, Santana has pitched to a 2.08 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 11:3 K:BB.
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Pirates' Dennis Santana: Nabs save despite two earned runs
Rotowire
Santana collected his fifth save of the season Friday against Atlanta, allowing two runs on three hits in the ninth inning. He did not record a walk or a strikeout.
It was a low-scoring affair Friday, and Santana was brought in to protect the Pirates' three-run lead in the ninth inning. He was on the back foot immediately after giving up a triple, and after yielding two runs on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single, he was able to close things out by getting Ozzie Albies to fly out to center field. This was far from a convincing performance from Santana, who is competing with David Bednar for saves in Pittsburgh. Santana has a 2.35 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 9:3 K:BB across 15.1 innings this season.
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Pirates' Dennis Santana: Back from bereavement leave
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The Pirates reinstated Santana (personal) from the bereavement list Sunday.
Pittsburgh optioned right-hander Kyle Nicolas to Triple-A Indianapolis to clear room on the 26-man roster for Santana, who had been away from the team since Tuesday while tending to a personal matter. David Bednar scooped up a save Wednesday, but he took a loss in a non-save situation Saturday, leaving the team's closing picture murky. Prior to going on bereavement leave, Santana had gone 3-for-3 in save chances while posting a 1.46 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in 12.1 innings.
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Pirates' Dennis Santana: Lands on bereavement list
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The Pirates placed Santana (personal) on the bereavement list Tuesday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Santana will step away from the team for a few days in order to tend to a personal matter. David Bednar is back in the closer mix after a brief stint at Triple-A Indianapolis, and he'll be the favorite for saves while Santana is away from the club.
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Pirates' Dennis Santana: Works eighth inning Friday
Rotowire
Santana gave up a hit in a scoreless eighth inning Friday to record his fourth hold of the season in a 3-0 win over the Dodgers.
The Pirates had said they were going to give David Bednar another look as the closer at some point, and that moment may have arrived -- Bednar pitched a scoreless ninth Friday for his second save of the year. Santana should remain in a high-leverage role given his 1.46 ERA and 0.89 WHIP through 12.1 innings, but his 7:3 K:BB hasn't matched the dominance Bednar is capable of when he's in top form.
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Pirates' Dennis Santana: Notches third save
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Santana surrendered one hit and no walks while striking out one batter in a scoreless ninth inning to collect a save in Wednesday's 3-0 win over the Angels.
Santana struck out Jo Adell on four pitches before allowing a double to Jorge Soler, but a groundout from Zach Neto followed by a Mike Trout flyout allowed the 29-year-old to pick up his third save of the year while preserving the shutout. Santana now owns a 1.59 ERA and 0.89 WHIP through 11.1 innings on the year and should continue to see regular save opportunities even though David Bednar is back with the Buccos.
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Pirates' Dennis Santana: Tough-luck loss
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Santana (0-1) allowed one unearned run without allowing a hit to take the loss Sunday against the Guardians.
Santana was called upon to pitch the 10th inning and retired every batter he faced, but he still was stuck with the loss after allowing the ghost runner to score on a sacrifice fly. He has turned in seven scoreless efforts in nine appearances this season and appears to be Pittsburgh's preferred option at closer, even with David Bednar back on the roster.
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Pirates' Dennis Santana: Secures second save
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Santana struck out a batter and didn't allow a baserunner in two-thirds of an inning to earn the save in Thursday's 1-0 win against Washington.
Southpaw Ryan Borucki stayed in for the start of the ninth inning to face the lefty-hitting Nathaniel Lowe, but Santana was called upon to secure the final two outs of the combined shutout. Both relievers have received a look in save situations since the demotion of David Bednar at the start of April, but Borucki blew his only ninth-inning chance while Santana is 2-for-2 in converting save opportunities. The 29-year-old righty has pitched well early in 2025 with a 2.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 5:3 K:BB over nine innings.
Santana threw a scoreless eighth inning without allowing a baserunner to record a hold Sunday against the Yankees.
Santana looked to be in line to be the Pirates' closer after David Bednar was demoted to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday. However, he entered the game in the eighth inning Sunday to face the top of the Yankees' order, including Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge. Ryan Borucki blew the save in the ninth inning, and the rest of the Pittsburgh bullpen has been shaky, leaving Santana as the likeliest option for saves moving forward. However, his usage Sunday illustrates that he could be used in highest-leverage spots rather than being saved exclusively for the ninth inning.
Pirates' Dennis Santana: Secures first save of season
Rotowire
Santana walked one in a scoreless ninth inning Wednesday to record his first save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Rays.
Getting Pittsburgh's first save opportunity since a struggling David Bednar was demoted to Triple-A, Santana tossed 16 of 24 pitches for strikes to get the job done against the heart of Tampa Bay's order. Colin Holderman, the other likely candidate to get a shot at closing duties, entered the game in the eighth inning and allowed a run, so the Bucs' bullpen hierarchy seems set for now. Santana has a 2.70 ERA and 3:3 K:BB through his first 3.1 innings on the year, and while he's had control issues at times in the past, the 28-year-old right-hander did post a career-best 7.3 percent walk rate in 2024.
Pirates' Dennis Santana: Could be in line for save chances
Rotowire
Santana might see save chances for the Pirates following the demotion of David Bednar to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Santana was excellent for the Pirates last season after being claimed off waivers, posting a 2.44 ERA and 50:11 K:BB over 44.1 innings while notching one save. He hasn't allowed a hit or a run in his first two appearances in 2025, holding a 3:2 K:BB in 1.1 frames. Colin Holderman could also be in the saves mix for Pittsburgh, although he's struggled this season in yielding three runs on four hits and three walks over three innings.
Santana lost his arbitration hearing against the Pirates on Saturday and will make $1.4 million in 2025, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
After being claimed off waivers from the Yankees in June, Santana emerged as a reliable high-leverage reliever, posting a 2.44 ERA and 0.92 WHIP over 44.1 innings with Pittsburgh. Despite his drastic turnaround, he will make $700,000 less in 2025 than the $2.1 million he filed for at the arbitration deadline. The 28-year-old figures to remain a high-leverage arm heading into the new season, and he could take over as the primary closer if David Bednar is unable to bounce back from his disappointing 2024 campaign.
Santana earned a save against the Cubs on Monday, striking out one batter in a perfect inning of work.
Pittsburgh scored five runs across the eighth and ninth frames to build a two-run lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. With David Bednar recently demoted from the closer role and Aroldis Chapman handling the eighth inning, Santana was given the chance to close things out, and he succeeded by retiring the side in order on 13 pitches. Bednar's demotion could be only temporary, but while he's handling lower-leverage situations Santana and Chapman appear to be the favorites to get any save chances that come along.
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Player Bio
HT/WT: 6-2, 190 lbs
Birthplace: San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic
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