De Los Santos earns 1st and 2nd career saves
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Yerry De Los Santos had to wait the first 24 years of his life to record his first Major League save.
He only had to wait about 30 hours to record his second.
On June 29 and 30, De Los Santos recorded saves for the Pirates in back-to-back contests against the Nationals and Brewers, a pair of games that were mere one-run affairs. For De Los Santos, the saves are just the latest milestones that he’s knocked off in what has been a memorable rookie season.
“Ever since the Minor Leagues, I’ve been battling for situations like this,” said De Los Santos through team interpreter Mike Gonzalez. “I’ve always been a reliever that’s trying to help the team win in every situation. I’ve been able to get some saves down there in the Minor Leagues. To be able to come up here and produce the same and help the team win in situations like that is vital for me. I want to be able to demonstrate to the team that any situation you need me, I’m ready for it.”
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De Los Santos, who came off the COVID-19 IL on Wednesday, has impressed in his first month-and-a-half with the Pirates. Since June 7, De Los Santos has posted a 1.86 ERA and a 1.87 FIP across 9 2/3 innings. One attribute of his game that has stood out to manager Derek Shelton is his ability to maintain a sense of calm regardless of situation, a trait that De Los Santos attributes to his father.
“I really have to give credit to my father,” De Los Santos said. “I learned that through my dad. I’ve seen it through my dad through my upbringing. My dad has confronted many tough situations, and I’ve always seen him remain the same through it all and remain level-headed.”