Dunn sets Marlins mark with 10th relief win

MIAMI -- As Marcell Ozuna was mobbed on the field after his second career walk-off RBI on Thursday night against the D-backs, Marlins relievers joined the crowd flapping their arms like birds.

Not only did the 5-4 victory mean that Miami had recorded its Majors-leading 10th walk-off win of the season -- it also meant that reliever Mike Dunn notched his 10th win of the season, which is more than anyone on the team. And the bullpen has made fun of Dunn all season, calling him a vulture for stealing all the starters' wins.

His 10 relief wins broke the franchise record of nine, which was held previously by Robb Nenn (1997) and Edward Mujica (2011).

"If you want to win in the playoffs, you need a lock-down bullpen," said Brad Penny, who started the game. "That's what we have here. People may be making fun of 10 wins, but that says something."

Dunn entered the game in the ninth with the game tied at 4, and got through a perfect inning on 14 pitches. He came back out for the 10th and threw just 14 more to the next three D-backs he faced. In all, he struck out three batters.

Dunn's numbers are misleading. His 10-5 record and 3.65 ERA could easily be mistaken for a starter's line if not for the number of games (56) games he's appeared in.

But the feat admittedly means little to the 29-year-old lefty. He even said he would give all his wins to starters if he could.

If there's one thing he's learned throughout his career, it's that nobody remembers what you did the previous night.

"I was able to come up with Mariano [Rivera] and Billy Wagner. Both of them told me, whenever you take a shower, you wash it away," said Dunn, who signed with the Yankees in 2005, and was traded to the Braves in December 2009. "Whatever you did the night before, it doesn't matter the next day. Wash it down the drain when you're taking a shower and come back the next day ready to go."

It's only fitting, then, that when he was told reigning NL Rookie of the Year Jose Fernandez had 12 wins in 2013, Dunn just laughed it off.

"We don't need any of those comparisons," the reliever said.