MILWAUKEE — Closer Pete Fairbanks surrendered a walk-off three-run homer to William Contreras on Sunday afternoon at American Family Field, blowing his third save of the season as the Miami Marlins fell 3-1 to the Brewers and extended their losing streak to six games — their longest since April 26-May 2, 2025.
The loss wasted another dominant outing from 22-year-old right-hander Eury Pérez, who tossed six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and three walks while matching a season high with nine strikeouts across five different pitch types in a 93-pitch outing. Over his last seven starts, Pérez has compiled a 1.14 ERA with three consecutive quality starts.
“If I didn’t want to break my hand, I would have hit quite a few things,” Fairbanks said. “This is the most trying three-month stretch I’ve ever had in the game of baseball.”
Nursing a 1-0 lead in the ninth, the 32-year-old Fairbanks allowed a leadoff single to Jackson Chourio and walked Brice Turang on five pitches before hanging a two-strike cutter to Contreras. Fairbanks’ 12.8% barrel rate is more than double any season from 2022-25 and well above his 7.6% career average. The average exit velocity against him sits at 91.7 mph, tied for eighth highest among 369 qualified pitchers, and his 75.9% fly-ball rate ranks sixth-highest among 464 pitchers with at least 50 batted balls.
President of baseball operations Peter Bendix brought Fairbanks in over the offseason to shore up the bullpen with Ronny Henriquez out with elbow surgery. His ERA has now ballooned to 7.42. Asked whether he might give Fairbanks a softer landing, manager Clayton McCullough said he would not.
“I still have a ton of confidence in Pete,” McCullough said. “Continue to go, and he’s doing everything he can to be prepared, and so total confidence that it’ll turn and we’ll all be the beneficiaries. That’s what he signed up for, and [it’s] not always easy, but you know what? Pete is built for this, and he’ll come out of it fine.”
Pérez’s lone hit allowed was Andrew Vaughn’s 103 mph two-out infield single in the fourth. After loading the bases in the fifth on a walk, a hit batter and an errant pickoff throw, Pérez struck out Turang on a 100.8 mph four-seamer — his second-fastest offering of the season — before Vaughn lined into a 6-5 double play to end the threat.
“With the same focus,” Pérez said of his second-half mindset. “Leave everything in God’s hands, and again, just continue to compete, have fun, like I always say. I think it’s going to be a good second half.”
Despite the skid, the Marlins remain in a three-way tie for the final National League Wild Card spot with 62 games remaining. Miami scored first in all three games against Milwaukee — the Majors’ second-best club — but managed just 13 total runs across the six-game losing streak.
“We know they happen, and so we’re just going through one right now,” McCullough said. “I know we’ll be fine, and pick it up and go into Houston tomorrow, and look to get ourselves back on track.”