JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman alum and Miami Marlins closer Steve Cishek has been named the Nation League Player of the Week alongside teammate Jose Fernandez. 

Cishek led the Majors with five saves, converting all of his opportunities, while posting a 0.00 ERA over 5.0 innings pitched with five strikeouts.

Each of his saves last week came in games in which he entered with no more than a two-run lead. In Monday's series-opener at Colorado, the 27-year-old fanned two in a perfect ninth inning to seal a 3-1 victory for the Marlins.

He worked scoreless frames in both Tuesday's and Wednesday's matchup between the Clubs, earning his 19th and 20th saves of the season as the Marlins completed a three-game sweep.

On Friday, Cishek worked his way out of a two-out jam to preserve a 2-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game of a three-game set at Marlins Park.

The Massachusetts native converted a career best 17th consecutive save opportunity in Sunday's series finale, tossing a scoreless ninth in relief of starter Jose Fernandez to earn the save in a 3-2 win.

Cishek's 17 straight converted opportunities represent the third-longest active streak among Major League closers, trailing All-Stars Craig Kimbrel (21) and Greg Holland (20). Since the streak began on June 8th, his 17 saves are the most in the Majors. This is his first career weekly award.

Cishek graduated from Carson-Newman in 2007 after helping to guide the Eagles to a 2007 SAC tournament championship.  He was drafted by the then Florida Marlins in the fifth round of the 2007 MLB draft.

-CN-