PITTSBURGH -- The Marlins’ reliance on bullpen games this month is due to injuries. The reason why they haven’t nosedived in June -- quite the opposite, in fact -- is because of how strong the unit has been.
Even after Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh at PNC Park snapped a season-long six-game win streak, Miami still boasts one of the Majors’ better relief corps.
Entering Saturday, the Marlins’ lesser-known relievers ranked first in batting average against (.196), HR/9 (0.67) and BABIP (.256), fourth in K/9 (9.72) and ninth in ERA (3.51).
“[Pitching coach] Daniel [Moskos] and company do a great job of continuing to look for ways to make them better, like, ‘What's going to allow you to be a more successful pitcher at the Major League level?’” manager Clayton McCullough said. “Whether it's trying to get some more velocity or add pitches. So that's the exciting part. All the guys that we have, we've seen them continue to get better, and the ones that are coming will fall in the same boat.”
Here’s a breakdown of the pitchers that kept the game close:
RHP Lake Bachar
How he was acquired: Claimed off waivers from Padres in September 2024
Season stats: 3.05 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 10.57 K/9 in 22 games (three starts)
Bachar opened Miami’s bullpen game for the third time this month, and Saturday marked the first loss. Despite struggling with his command in a 26-pitch first, Bachar limited the damage to just one run.
It snapped Bachar’s stretch of 7 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings across three outings. In his last two starts on June 2 and June 6, he permitted just one baserunner over 5 2/3 combined frames.
Bachar, who has the potential to go down the converted starter route like Tyler Phillips, bounced back by striking out the side in a perfect second to end his 42-pitch appearance.
“It's just a little bit of the prep side, knowing [in] advance that you're going to throw,” Bachar said of how he’s taking to opening. “But other than that, everything's been feeling very normal to me.”
LHP John King
How he was acquired: Signed to one-year, $1.5 million deal in February
Season stats: 2.48 ERA, 0.72 WHIP in 31 outings (one start)
McCullough went with high-leverage lefty King to face the top of the Pirates’ order in the third, but it didn’t pan out. Spencer Horwitz led off with a single and scored on Bryan Reynolds’ RBI double.
RHP Calvin Faucher
How he was acquired: Five-player trade with Rays in November 2023
Season stats: 3.45 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, 10.36 K/9 in 29 outings
With a runner at second in the third, McCullough brought in setup option Faucher for King. After fielding a comebacker to end the threat, Faucher recorded two outs but also permitted two baserunners in the fourth.
LHP Cade Gibson
How he was acquired: Selected in 10th round of 2022 Draft
Season stats: 5.73 ERA, 1.82 WHIP, 9.00 K/9 in eight outings
Gibson came in to face the left-handed-hitting Horwitz and induced an inning-ending groundout to escape the jam. He worked a scoreless fifth, then allowed the first two batters to reach in the sixth.
RHP Michael Petersen
How he was acquired: Trade with Braves for cash in July 2025
Season stats: 3.07 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 10.43 K/9 in 27 outings
Like Gibson before him, Petersen inherited baserunners and got out of it. He followed it up with a perfect seventh.
“Big Mike is someone this year [who] has really stepped into a major role for us,” McCullough said. “We believed in Mike. The stuff is really good. The fastball velocity, the carry, the hard breaking ball he has, and a changeup.”
RHP Anthony Bender
How he was acquired: Signed as a Minor League free agent in November 2020
Season stats: 3.07 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 11.05 K/9 in 30 outings
With the game tied at 2 in the eighth, Bender got two quick outs before loading the bases on consecutive hits through the left side of the infield and a walk. Bender then hit Horwitz with a first-pitch sinker to bring in the game-winning run.
Entering Saturday, Bender had been scored upon in just two of his last 20 outings for a 0.87 ERA, thanks to baseball’s nastiest pitch. This dominant stretch succeeded one in which his ERA ballooned to 8.22 through his first nine appearances of the season.
“My confidence is at an all-time high, so I'm not going to let that bug me,” Bender told MLB.com. “I'm going to kind of flush that one and go back to what I've been doing and throw the ball well. I'm going to stay right there.”