David Bednar makes clear NSFW statement about Yankees closer job with 42-pitch stunner

In the understatement of the century, the underwater Yankees needed a win in Wednesday's finale against the Texas Rangers. Pregame, it seemed there were only two possible paths to victory: either they'd blow out the Rangers, or they'd need someone in an understaffed bullpen to get very uncomfortable to secure the victory. Naturally, they went with Option B, except one thing was different than we expected: David Bednar didn't look uncomfortable at all.

A Paul Goldschmidt pinch-hit home run in the seventh left the Yankees nine outs to cover, with Mark Leiter Jr. already burned. Even in dire straits, the Yankees don't like using relievers thrice in three days, so Luke Weaver was out. It would've taken something akin to an avalanche or alien invasion to get Aaron Boone to choose Devin Williams for the third time in the series (we think?), so he was out, too. Camilo Doval? Games 1 and 2, you guessed it.

Once again, harkening back to the Yankees' arm-strapped bullpen days pre-deadline, Boone was managing for his job, and had very few sure things at his disposal. Yerry de los Santos snuck through a seventh-inning escape after Tim Hill recorded two outs and let two men reach (well, technically Ben Rice did, but you get it). The righty retired the first batter of the eighth, at which point Boone turned to the newly imported Bednar to record ... five outs? Not five outs, right? ...Five outs?

He finished the eighth with two Ks. He came back for the ninth, striking out the first two batters. The 3-2 pitch he delivered to Corey Seager should've ended the game, but home plate umpire Brennan Miller decided he wanted every Yankee fan to dial "9-1," then wait by the phone for the second "1".

Marcus Semien singled. With two on and two out, the Rangers' poor lineup construction came back to bite them, with the terminally-addicted-to-leaving-runners-on-base Adolis Garcia at the plate. On Bednar's 42nd pitch of the game, he stranded two more, swinging over a splitter and showing the Yankees the type of tenacity they sought at last week's deadline in spades.

As a wise Bednar once said, echoing every Yankee fan, "F*** yeah. Let's f***ing go."

Yankees' trade deadline import David Bednar proved he needs to be the closer moving forward vs. Rangers

Bednar survived 15-20 pitches longer than he should've had to in a typical game, but he knew - and everyone in the building knew - that this game was incredibly atypical. He was asked to complete an expert-level task, one that the Yankees' closers before him have often made seem impossible. He pitched a playoff game in early August, and he did so with an even keel and a steely resolve, only releasing once the final strike was recorded.

Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill and Mark Leiter Jr. can all be seventh-inning options (and maybe Yerry de los Santos can be, too). Bednar, Luke Weaver, and Camilo Doval can all close. An argument can be made that the Yankees should mix and match their setup men and have two different "closers," depending on the lane. But it's hard to refute that Bednar deserves the majority of the reps right now, with both Doval and Weaver able to alternate in the eighth (and step in under duress).

Heading into an off day, it's five days past go time. But the season could restart Friday if the Yankees decide to pay attention to the man who passed the test on Wednesday and give him the ball.