Anthony Bender News: Notches eighth hold

Bender worked a scoreless seventh inning without a walk or a strikeout to record his eighth hold of the season in Tuesday's win over the Pirates.

The right-hander entered the game to protect a 3-0 lead and needed only nine pitches (seven strikes) to dispatch Pittsburgh's 5-6-7 hitters. Bender has a career-low 20.0 percent strikeout rate through 27.1 innings this season and a 10.0 percent walk rate that's just a tick below the career-worst 10.3 percent mark he posted in 2022, but he's generating enough weak contact to make it work, posting a 1.98 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. He hasn't recorded a save since April 1, however, and seems stuck in a setup role ahead of current top closing option Calvin Faucher.