Pennant Race Gets to Florida Marlins' Leo Nunez

The Marlins picked Leo Nunez as their closer in July after trying many guys to fill in for the injured Matt Lindstrom. Nunez is going through a learning curve while he adjusting to his new role.

The Marlins like what Nunez has done this season by solidifying a closer role that was a question mark when the season started. He saved 24 games this season.

However, blown saves define a closer more than making saves. Everyone makes a big deal of Brad Lidge these days because teams celebrate victories at his expense, and that will be a problem in October since he can't straighten himself out.

Nunez blew couple of saves this month, and he did it again on Friday night when he lost a 5-4 lead to a pathetic Mets team. That sorry Mets team went on to win, and they celebrated as if they won a World Series.

With the way the Mets season has gone, who can blame them for acting like fools?

What we're seeing is a closer that needs to learn how to handle playoff pressure. If Nunez wants to be an elite closer, performing in September is a must for the Marlins to be a playoff team.

The Marlins closer struggles to pitch in this spot right now, and that has to change next year.

From watching Nunez pitch, it looks like his velocity is slow. It showed in tonight's game, and the Mets hit the ball off him easily.

Anytime a pitcher throws slowly, strikeouts don't come as a result of it. Hitters have a good eye on the ball, and they figure out easily if the pitcher throw strikes or not.

The Mets anticipated Nunez throwing nibblers, and it paid off.

Maybe he is fatigued or maybe he never experienced being in that role.

Whatever it is, he needs to figure it out because the Marlins will not throw money to entice Billy Wagner to come pitch for them.

Nunez will be the closer next year, and he should be.

He needs to avoid letting his emotions get the best out of him when the going gets tough.

A closer provides an aura that he will get the job done when he gets in. In the case of Nunez, it looks like he was scared to pitch last night.

It's hard to come up with a solution. No one can blame Fredi Gonzalez if he hands the ball to Lindstorm to close in the ninth inning, but that could be risky.

Lindstrom hasn't closed for a while, and to give him the ball at this juncture is not a wise thing to do. Nunez gives the Marlins a better chance to win than Lindstrom.

Nunez must handle adversity well. It could come through experience.

Unless a closer is Mariano Rivera or Jonathan Papelbon, it's hard to to be a closer right away and perform.  He needs to fail before he can be better.

Nunez must show he can learn from all this.