Calvin Faucher was used to get two outs in the eighth. Obviously, there was no save to be had tonight, but Bender, who has yet to allow a run in 3 2/3 innings, does seem to be the Marlins’ preferred option at the moment.

Lefty Anthony Veneziano opened the ninth with Juan Soto coming to bat, but he retired just one of the three batters he faced. Bender entered to face Mark Vientos and got both he and Jesse Winker to end the game and claim the Marlins’ first save of the year. Bender also got a win on Sunday. He’s probably not the Marlins’ sole closer just yet, but we do like him more than Calvin Faucher, who went unused for a second straight day after throwing 47 pitches between Saturday and Sunday.

The closer battle in Miami is really heating up, as Bender, Calvin Faucher and Jesús Tinoco all allowed runs today. They’ve all given up exactly three earned runs in five innings to date this spring. No one in the group seems worthy of a roster spot in mixed leagues at the moment, though that will probably change at some point. We’d say Bender’s the best bet from a performance standpoint, but Faucher is probably the favorite for saves early on.

Bender has wrapped up a minor league rehab assignment and will remain stationed at Triple-A Jacksonville as extra relief depth. The 29-year-old has been out since mid-August due to a shoulder impingement.