The Miami Marlins left Sacramento with a sweep of the Athletics, but the loudest reaction Sunday came when Eury Perez walked off the mound after seven perfect innings.
Perez was brilliant, throwing seven perfect frames and reaching 92 pitches before Marlins manager Clayton McCullough pulled him before the eighth. That decision didn’t sit well with the crowd, and Athletics fans could be heard shouting “shame!” as Perez exited.
The move ended Miami’s shot at history. The bullpen immediately unraveled the perfect game, opening the inning by allowing a walk and then a single to break up the no-hit bid as well.
From there, the Marlins bullpen gave up five runs in the eighth, turning what had been a special night into a tense finish. There had never been a combined perfect game in MLB history.
Still, Miami held on for a 9-8 win.
Perez’s pitch count was already climbing toward 100, and the fact that he is coming off a recent injury made the decision easier to understand. Even so, fans in the stands clearly wanted to see whether he could finish the job and chase history.
For Miami, the outing still counted as another encouraging step for Perez. The Marlins have been looking for stability in the rotation, and this was the kind of start they need from him.
The win moved Miami to 49-42, and the club is tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for the final wild-card spot in the National League as the first half of the season winds down. With the race tightening, the Marlins need Perez to keep stacking starts like this one.
They’ve now gotten back-to-back strong outings from the veteran, and if Miami is going to stay in the playoff picture, that has to keep going. Outside of Max Meyer and Sandy Alcantara, the rotation has carried plenty of question marks, and Perez’s return to health gives the Marlins another arm they badly need.
If he keeps dealing, it could do more than help Miami win games. It could strengthen the club’s case to buy at the trade deadline and give Perez a chance to keep building momentum after his injury issues.
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