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35 articles
PIT • Pitcher • #60
15 days ago
Santana was tasked with preserving a two-run lead in the final frame after six Pirates relievers combined for eight scoreless frames to open the contest. He served up back-to-back solo homers to Pedro Pagés and JJ Wetherholt. Thing spiralled immediately afterwards as he allowed three consecutive batters to reach before coughing up a go-ahead two-run double to José Fermín.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
20 days ago
Santana finished the job for the Pirates, but it came in an 8-4 game so there’s no save for the right-hander. He did pick up a pair of strikeouts without allowing a hit, however, and his ERA for the first three weeks of the season is a miniscule 0.75. That’ll work.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
26 days ago
It’s still notable that with similar workloads over the last few days, it was Santana and not Gregory Soto that took the mound at the start of the tenth inning. Santana did not exactly reward the confidence by leaving a pitch right in the middle of the plate for the go-ahead RBI single by James Wood. The committee should remain interesting in Pittsburgh, but perhaps this was a tell-tale sign of trust we should attach some real meaning to.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
27 days ago
Is Santana securely back as the Pirates’ closer? He’s now received their last three save opportunities and converted two of them after it looked like Gregory Soto could’ve been zeroing in on the role. Instead, the left-handed Soto pitched the eighth inning of this game and faced lefties James Wood and Daylen Lile. Santana has the inside track at the moment, but expect Pittsburgh to still take the situation into account as to who gets the opportunities for saves.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
about 1 month ago
Santana walked Dansby Swanson with one out and Carson Kelly with two outs before Alex Bregman snuck a liner into center field for a game-tying hit. It’s the first run Santana has allowed in eight innings this season, and he’s still probably the favorite for saves in a Pirates closing situation that still might be something of a committee. Yohan Ramírez might be adding his name to the mix after working scoreless 10th and 11th innings for a win today.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
about 1 month ago
Gregory Soto, who has shared the late-game duties with Santana this season, worked a scoreless eighth inning ahead of him, though he did walk a pair of batters. Santana then took over and made quick work of the Cubs, needing just 13 pitches (nine strikes) to dispatch of the Cubs including strikeouts of Dansby Swanson and Michael Busch. The 29-year-old hurler has yet to allow a run over seven innings on the season while posting a minuscule 0.43 WHIP and a 6/2 K/BB ratio.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
about 1 month ago
A day after pitching the eighth, Santana was summoned in the ninth on Saturday in a tie game. He pitched a clean inning, striking out the final batter before the Pirates walked it off in the bottom of the frame to give Santana the win. Gregory Soto was likely unavailable after pitching in three of the last four games. The early usage has raised questions surrounding Santana’s role. He and Soto seem likely to work in a matchup-based committee.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
about 1 month ago
The Pirates surprised some people by saying at the end of the spring that Santana wouldn’t be their sole closer, but the guess here is that he’s still going to get the big majority of the save chances unless he stumbles. The Pirates haven’t had a traditional opportunity yet, but Santana has already thrown three scoreless innings. However, since Santana has worked the last two days, Gregory Soto, who got this one off, might be the choice to close Monday.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
about 2 months ago
Santana is the odds-on favorite to open the season as Pittsburgh’s closer after recording 16 saves to go along with a 2.18 ERA (3.50 xERA), 0.87 WHIP and 60/17 K/BB ratio across 70 1/3 innings last year. The 29-year-old is a top 15-20 range fantasy closer in drafts this spring.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
4 months ago
Santana finished with a 2.18 ERA and 16 saves in a 2025 season split between closing and setting up for David Bednar. He’s the clear favorite for saves in the Pittsburgh pen as he enters his walk year. A July trade is probably forthcoming if the team fails to contend.
Source: Alex Stumpf
PIT • Pitcher • #60
4 months ago
Santana was a crucial part of the Pirates’ bullpen in 2025, taking over the closer’s role when David Bednar was demoted to Triple-A and then again later after Bednar was traded to the Yankees. He threw 70 1/3 innings with a 2.18 ERA, 0.867 WHIP, and 60/17 K/BB ratio while recording 16 saves. He will likely form a closer committee in 2026 with newly signed left-hander Gregory Soto.
Source: Alex Stumpf
PIT • Pitcher • #60
8 months ago
Santana has five saves this month. He’s pitched two straight days and four of the last five, so he probably ought to be out of commission on Sunday. Still, maybe not... he’ll have plenty of time to rest afterwards, of course.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
8 months ago
Santana blew his first save chance after David Bednar was traded, but he’s 9-for-9 since. The scoreless appearance tonight was his eighth in a row.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
8 months ago
Santana was summoned to close out the game against the A’s with a two-run lead in the ninth inning. He tossed a clean frame on 10 pitches, striking out one batter for his 14th save of the season to go with a 2.18 ERA over 66 innings.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
8 months ago
That’s two saves in two days and 13 this year for Santana. He’s allowed two runs in his last 11 appearances, bringing his ERA back down to 2.40. It was actually at 1.36 at the trade deadline, but he gave up seven runs in his first three appearances last month.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
8 months ago
Working with a three-run lead, Santana walked Miguel Rojas to start the ninth and then gave up an RBI double to Shohei Ohtani. However, he was able to retire Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith from there. Santana, who had three days off coming into tonight, should be available to close again Wednesday after throwing 14 pitches.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
9 months ago
Santana’s save was his 11th of the year. The 29-year-old right-hander recorded two strikeouts and lowered his ERA to 2.33 this year with the scoreless outing. He’s allowed just one run in his last nine appearances.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
9 months ago
Santana needed just eight pitches to retire Bo Bichette, Alejandro Kirk and Daulton Varsho. It’s his fifth straight scoreless appearance, and he now has nine saves on the season.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
9 months ago
Santana plunked Ernie Clement, but he retired the other three batters he faced. He has two saves and one win this month since taking over the closer’s role for the traded David Bednar.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
9 months ago
Santana came on in the eighth inning of a tied game and Ian Happ was caught stealing to end the inning. He returned for the ninth after the Pirates took the lead and immediately made things interesting by allowing a leadoff single to Pete Crow-Armstrong. Fortunately for him and the Pirates though, Crow-Armstrong was then cut down attempting to steal second base as he over-slid the base when he had it easily pilfered. Santana then retired Nico Hoerner on a fly ball to left and Dansby Swanson on a ground ball to shortstop to end the game. Santana has notched four wins and seven saves on the season and is the unquestioned favorite for saves in the Pirates’ bullpen at the moment.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
9 months ago
The newly-minted Pirates closer has finally saved his first game since the deadline after blowing one, taking two losses, and allowing seven runs across 2 2/3 innings over the past week. Nevertheless, he worked a very easy one-two-three inning here and seems to have a long leash in his new role.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
9 months ago
Santana came on in the ninth inning in the Pirates’ first game after trading David Bednar on Thursday, a strong signal that he will be the closer for the Pirates for the remainder of the season. The 29-year-old right-hander entered with a four-run lead so it technically wasn’t a save situation, but he allowed five runs on four hits and a walk including two home runs while recording just one out. Santana’s fantasy value has still greatly increased with him moving into the closer role, but this outing was an absolute disaster.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
9 months ago
It’s baffling to see Santana stay when there was such a nice market for relievers and he’s a free agent to be, but at least that settles their closing situation. Santana is worth adding in most leagues.
Source: Mark Feinsand
PIT • Pitcher • #60
10 months ago
David Bednar got the night off after pitching in three of the last four days. Santana got the call in the ninth against the Giants to close out the game with a two-run lead. He struck out two of the three batters he faced on 12 pitches for his sixth save of the season.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
11 months ago
Santana was handed a four-game suspension, which was reduced on appeal, by the league earlier this month for his conduct towards a fan back on June 19.
Source: Colin Beazley
PIT • Pitcher • #60
11 months ago
Santana clearly attempted to jump up and slap a fan that had said something to him from just above the bullpen wall. The 29-year-old ultimately had to be restrained by teammates. He’ll appeal the suspension and will remain active in the Pirates’ bullpen until the league makes a ruling on his appeal.
Source: Noah Hiles
PIT • Pitcher • #60
11 months ago
Santana attempted to jump up and slap a fan that had said something to him from just above the bullpen wall. The right-hander ultimately had to be restrained by teammates. He’ll appeal the suspension and will remain active in the Pirates’ bullpen until the league makes a ruling on his appeal.
Source: Noah Hiles
PIT • Pitcher • #60
11 months ago
While David Bednar has mostly reclaimed the closing gig in Pittsburgh, Santana had been really sharp of late — he fanned 12 over nine scoreless innings in his previous nine appearances — and still seemed to maybe be in the mix for the few save chances the Pirates produce. This is a setback, though. The homer he gave up to Isaac Paredes tonight was the first he’s allowed in 24 2/3 innings this season. He didn’t allow any in his final 26 1/3 innings last year, either.
PIT • Pitcher • #60
about 1 year ago
Santana was brought in to face the bottom three hitters in Atlanta’s order in a tie game in the ninth inning and earned a win when the Pirates walked it off in the bottom of the inning. Santana has now pitched the ninth inning three days in a row after the Pirates made a managerial change. None of those appearances were against the middle of the order; that role has gone to David Bednar, but it’s clear that Santana will be in a position to pick up a few wins and saves even if Bednar keeps that high-leverage role.