Fairbanks Bounces Back, Earns Eighth Save for Marlins

Pete Fairbanks stepped up and bounced back in his first save appearance to help the Miami Marlins sweep the Arizona Diamondbacks while earning his eighth save of the season.

Fairbanks took the mound in the ninth inning for his first save opportunity since almost blowing it against the Tampa Bay Rays before needing Tyler Zuber to come in to finish the job. This time, however, Fairbanks looked like the closer Miami envisioned when they signed him just before the new year.

The veteran right-hander was dominant Thursday afternoon, throwing 13 of his 17 pitches for strikes while striking out two batters. He allowed no hits, no walks, and no runs in what was nearly a perfect ninth inning to earn his eighth save.

After the last out, Fairbanks showed some emotion and afterward said, “To reward the faith of the organization and the staff and hopefully start to put some things together.”

“I’ve been fired up in less circumstances,” Fairbanks said.

With the 2–0 victory, the Marlins remain one of, if not the hottest teams in baseball, having won eight of their last nine games while recording their second series sweep of the month. Unbelievably, the Marlins only managed one series sweep all season before their recent surge in June, sweeping two of their first three.

After the game, Fairbanks credited the recent success to the guys putting in the work, adding, “Hopefully the results continue to show.”

Fairbanks had struggled this season. In 19 innings pitched, he holds a 6.63 ERA, having given up 16 runs, 14 earned, and has a 27-to-11 strike-to-walk ratio. He has eight saves in 10 save opportunities along with two holds. Even with Fairbanks’ early struggles and a bad month of May, the Marlins now sit just two games out of a Wild Card spot.

The 32-year-old Fairbanks from Milwaukee, WI, spent just under 10 and a half years at the professional level before heading south to Miami. He was selected by the Texas Rangers in the ninth round of the 2015 MLB Draft.

Fairbanks overcame adversity to make his dream of reaching the major leagues a reality, including undergoing Tommy John surgery twice. After his second Tommy John surgery, he returned in 2019 to the minors before making his major league debut in June of the same year. Fairbanks was then traded to the Rays approximately a month later for Nick Solak.

With the Rays, Fairbanks became a key member of the bullpen and one of the more reliable late-inning relievers. In his second season with the Rays, Fairbanks played a key role in their 2020 American League pennant run, including a four-out Game 7 save in the ALCS. Despite missing three months with an injury, Fairbanks still emerged as the team's primary closer in 2022, going a perfect eight-for-eight in saves. From 2022 to the end of the 2025 season for the Rays, Fairbanks recorded 83 saves in 96 opportunities.

Fairbanks signed a three-year, $12 million contract extension with the Rays on Jan. 27, 2023. Just 33 months and three weeks later, on Nov. 6, 2025, the Rays declined Fairbanks' 2026 option, letting the reliever walk away to explore free agency.

Less than two months later, the Marlins signed the reliever to a one-year, $13 million contract on Dec. 28, 2025.

The Marlins are hoping the recent success of some of their young players is rubbing off on the veteran reliever after a difficult first two months of the season. If it is, Miami may have found the steady arm needed to take control of the bullpen as the playoff race heats up.

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