Marlins closer ‘either perfectly high or perfectly low’

Miami Marlins closer Pete Fairbanks is going through the most lopsided case of a Jackal and Hyde season.

It almost depends entirely on what colored pants he’s wearing.

If they’re white pants, then he is every bit of the closer that the Marlins expected when they made him the largest free-agent contract for a reliever in franchise history, worth $13 million over this season. In 10 appearances at home, Fairbanks has allowed only two runs on four hits with 16 strikeouts in 9.2 innings pitched (1.86 ERA). He is also 6-for-6 in save opportunities.

If they’re grey pants, then to call him to the mound is to invite chaos. In six road appearances, he has given up 12 runs (10 earned) in 4.2 innings (19.29 ERA) for three losses and two blown saves.

In an interview with MLB.com, Fairbanks properly described the early part of his Marlins tenure as “a chaotic two months.”

“It’s like the drop at Mr. Freeze in Six Flags St. Louis: It’s either perfectly high or perfectly low,” Fairbanks said. “There’s been no middle ground of the roller coaster. It’s either been lights-out, or it’s been every light is on.”

The Marlins (26-32) clawed back from a five-run deficit to tie the game 7-7 against the New York Mets, only to lose in extra innings on a walk-off home run. Fairbanks threw consecutive fastballs against MJ Melendez and earned a 0-2 count. He shook off a pitch called by assistant pitching coach Rob Marcello and went with a 98.4 mph four-seam fastball, expecting it to work like the previous two.

Instead of the same pitch yielding the same result, Melendez sent it to the upper deck for a walk-off home run on Friday.

“So maybe that’ll be the switch we need,” Fairbanks said, “just no [shake-offs] the rest of the year.”

The Marlins will look to snap their three-game losing streak on Saturday with Tyler Phillips on the mound.