Thursday, April 02

SEATTLE -- The ninth inning wasn’t what challenged David Bednar most about becoming a Yankee. It was the commute.

“I won’t ever get used to it. I won’t ever complain about Pittsburgh traffic ever again,” Bednar said, with a laugh.

That’s why, with Opening Day in the Bronx approaching, Bednar has a plan: Leave early and beat gridlock. A year ago, Bednar was in a much different place, having been optioned to the Minors after three rough outings to begin his season with the Pirates.

Now, he can appreciate the distance traveled -- from being sent down to being trusted with the final outs in the game’s biggest market.

“I’ve been fortunate to have some highs, but I’ve also been absolutely humbled and kicked in the teeth,” he said. “To be able to come out of that, it’s crazy to think it’s almost a full calendar year. It’s quite a whirlwind. I felt every emotion: I was upset, bummed, you name it.

“But when I got there, it was like, ‘I can’t control what happened. I have to make this the best thing for me.’ So every day when I was down there, even if I wasn’t pitching, I was thinking, 'What can I do to get better?' I got that extra perspective and confidence of what makes me able to have success.”

Bednar secured three saves on the Yankees’ season-opening road trip against the Giants and the Mariners, and they came in different flavors. He nailed down a shutout in the second game at San Francisco, pitching around a two-out walk.

He had to grind the next day, putting the potential tying runs aboard before registering a strikeout and a double-play grounder, prompting him to quip to teammate Paul Goldschmidt: “Never a doubt.”

“At the end of the day, it’s about finding a way,” Bednar said. “Everybody wants to go three up, three down, but sometimes it just doesn’t fall that way. You want them all to be pretty, but when they’re not, you’ve just got to bear down.”

No wonder his teammates call him “El Oso” -- Spanish for "The Bear," a nickname he picked up last season.

“I have a lot of faith in him, because ultimately, he’s going to command three pitches and give himself a chance,” manager Aaron Boone said. “You know he’s not going to flinch.”

On Wednesday in Seattle, Boone pushed Bednar to 40 pitches over a four-out appearance -- the tying run came to the plate, but Bednar ultimately ended it by inducing a flyout.

That’s what the Yankees have seen from Bednar, who leans on a four-seam fastball, splitter and curveball -- he may bend, but he won’t break.

“He always finds his way out of it,” said captain Aaron Judge. “You’ve got to have full trust in your guy. I’ve got full trust in him that he’s going to go out there and take care of business.”

When Bednar was acquired from the Pirates at the Trade Deadline last July, part of a midseason bullpen revamp, he spoke about how excited he was to chase a playoff spot after years of being an also-ran in Pittsburgh.

Bednar made five postseason appearances, and he said he learned something from the experience.

“Getting a taste of that, playing competitive and meaningful baseball down the stretch, it was like: ‘That’s what you do this for,’” Bednar said.

“It changed my perspective a little bit, making me a little hungrier. You do it for the guy next to you. You do it for the fans. That’s what makes playing in New York so special.”

Team USA Hockey Olympic gold medalists Jack Hughes and Aerin Frankel will throw out the ceremonial first pitches before Friday’s 1:35 p.m. ET home opener against the Marlins. All Yankee Stadium gates will open to guests with valid tickets beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Pregame ceremonies will begin at approximately 1 p.m. ET with the introduction of both teams on the baselines. Guests are strongly encouraged to arrive early to avoid lines, which will increase in length as game time approaches.

The batting helmet José Caballero tapped to initiate Major League Baseball’s first Automated Ball-Strike Challenge has been authenticated, set to be displayed at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Beyond its historic value, Caballero’s helmet may be notable for another reason. That artifact from Opening Night in San Francisco represents a rarity: an unsuccessful Yankees challenge.

Why have they been baseball’s best team in the ABS department, and can it continue? We explored those topics this week.

Which promotional item was memorably tossed onto the field during the Yankees’ 1978 home opener against the White Sox?

A. World Series championship pennants

B. Reggie! candy bars

C. Vinyl disco records

D. Thurman Munson collectible coins

April 2, 1996: In Joe Torre’s first game as Yankees manager, Derek Jeter hit a fifth-inning solo home run in a 7-1 victory over Cleveland, also making a nifty catch on an Omar Vizquel popup. Jeter was the first Yanks rookie to start at shortstop on Opening Day since Tom Tresh in 1962.

B. Reggie! candy bars

Each fan received a free Reggie! bar for the Yankees’ April 13, 1978, home opener in the Bronx. When Reggie Jackson hit a three-run homer in his first at-bat of the season, the field was quickly carpeted with the orange candy bars, delaying the game for several minutes.

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