Pete Fairbanks strikes out two for 11th save

Fairbanks allowed one hit in the 14-pitch inning as the Marlins took it 2-0, elevating them to nine games over .500. It has been an up-and-down campaign for Fairbanks. While he’s pitched better than his 6.75 mark, it isn’t as if his ERA estimators suggest he’s been great. Still, he remains the closer for the Marlins with four games to go until the All-Star break.

Fairbanks had an earned run taken away because the scorekeeper determined it was a passed ball from Joe Mack that allowed the run to score. It was still an awful effort from Fairbanks, and it didn’t even come in a save situation, so there’s no benefit for those who roster the 32-year-old. He’s now allowed runs in four straight appearances, and his ERA has blown up to an ugly 6.84. It still seems likely that Fairbanks will get the save chances for Miami, but this is a situation worth monitoring.

Joc Pederson did get to Fairbanks for a leadoff home run, but he rebounded to retire Wyatt Langford, Josh Jung, and Brandon Nimmo in order to record his 12th save. Since coming off the injured list on May 16th, Fairbanks has a 4.50 ERA (3.34 SIERA) with a 1.29 WHIP and seven saves in 15 innings.

Fairbanks entered the game with a one-run lead and was able to retire all three batters he faced on just 17 pitches. It was a solid outing for the righty who entered the day having allowed three earned runs in just 4 2/3 innings of work on the month.

Fairbanks came on with a three-run advantage to protect in the ninth inning. He started out strong, striking out Spencer Horwitz and Brandon Lowe to start the inning before surrendering a solo homer to Bryan Reynolds. He then rebounded to get Ryan O’Hearn on a line drive to center to end it. For the season, the 32-year-old closer now sports a 6.75 ERA and 29/11 K/BB ratio over 20 innings of work while recording eight saves for the Marlins.

Fairbanks touched 97 and struck out Nolan Arenado and LuJames Groover to hold a 2-0 lead. It was a needed quiet outing for the veteran, who hadn’t had an outing without traffic since June 1 and cut his ERA to 6.63 -- his first ERA under seven since April 5’s appearance as an opener before he hit the paternity list.

The official scorer picked Fairbanks for the win after the Marlins scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it a 10-6 game. There was no save situation on the line at that point. so those rostering Fairbanks should be thankful. Calvin Faucher also could have been the pick after getting two outs in a three-run eighth, but that would have left Fairbanks out of the mix entirely.

Fairbanks plunked Dylan Crews and gave up a single to Curtis Mead to open the ninth, but he then retired CJ Abrams, Jacob Young and Daylen Lile in order. It’s the 11th time in 18 appearances this year that Fairbanks has gone without allowing a run. He still has a 6.61 ERA overall.

Fairbanks came on to work in a 7-7 game in the 10th inning after the Marlins came up empty in the top half of the frame. He got Juan Soto to fly out to center to start the inning, keeping Vidal Brujan at second base, but MJ Melendez followed with a walk-off two-run blast that ended it. Fairbanks now holds an unsightly 7.53 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over 14 1/3 innings on the season while converting six of his first eight save chances.

Fairbanks made easy work of the bottom of the Mets’ lineup with two strikeouts before walking Carson Benge who reached base as the tying run. Tense as it was, he forced a lazy fly ball from Bo Bichette to end the threat and save his first game in a month, before he went on the injured list. His hold on the closer’s job still appears to be strong despite an ugly 8.25 ERA so far this season.