MIAMI – What a way to end his first half if Thursday turned out to be his last outing for Marlins right-hander Yuri Perez.
Dominican Perez allowed one run in six innings, but unfortunately that was enough for him to take the loss on Thursday. Backhand 3-0 against the Cardinals at Lone Depot Park. Miami left 10 runners on base and held its sluggers to a 10-for-1 ratio with runners in scoring position, failing to complete a sweep of the four-game series.
But don’t forget what Perez has done since coming to the big leagues.
Think about everything the right-hander has been through in the last four months: He started his second straight season at Double-A Pensacola, put his teenage years behind him, ascended to the top pitching prospect in all of baseball, and made his major league debut.. In his first nine outings A 1.34 ERA ranks him Lists the same as two events: Mexican Fernando Valenzuela and Dwight Gooden.
“Every experience, every batter I face is a memory for me,” Perez said after the game. “It’s something I’ll always remember. The experience with the players is something I’ll never forget. I have a mindset going forward. I don’t know if they’re going to stop me now or when it’s going to happen, but I want to work hard and be ready to help this team in any way I can. Mood
Perez, 20, has already surpassed his record for innings pitched in a season (84.1) between his time at Double-A Pensacola and the majors. With the All-Star break starting Monday, the Marlins could waive Perez and have him in the race for the postseason and beyond. Whatever Miami decides to do, it will be a tough call considering how dominant it has been.
Here’s a short version of some of the amazing things Perez did:
– His 2.36 ERA is the best by a pitcher 20 and over his first 11 games (at least 50 IP) since 1920.
– Youngest player (20 years and 71 days) to record three consecutive starts of more than six scoreless innings since at least 1901.
– Five of his first 11 starts with more than a run or no innings in 8 of his first 11 starts, the most by a debutant since at least 1901.
While Perez didn’t have his best command on Thursday, he walked two batters and hit another pitch on the day, allowing just one run, a Nolan Arenado home run in the sixth inning. With the count 2-1, Arenado sent a slider over the right-center field wall.
“[Pérez] He’s very talented,” Arenado said. “All his hands, really — we didn’t face Sandy [Alcántara]. [Jesús] Luzardo has a huge arm. Brandon Garrett [un pitcher] Solid. We had a solid pitcher that hit hard and they all had good seasons. Perez stands out in everything, he made it difficult for us. I had some luck against him and I’m glad the ball came out.
Thursday’s game presented Perez with a new challenge: his first chance to bounce back from a bad start in the big leagues. On Saturday in Atlanta, the Dominican allowed seven runs and scored just one run against the Braves. In doing so, he became only the second pitcher to allow six or more runs and strike out one or fewer in a start, joining Carl Pavano (July 27, 2003).
How did Perez use the time between one opening and another? What did you learn from a bad moment? The Dominican has focused on elevating his fastball even more to get better results with his changeup and slider below. He saw immediate results on Tuesday as he hit six of his seven with a slider that started with a 42.6% shutout rate.
“That’s the way he is,” said foreman Skip Schumacher. “That’s why we’re so impressed with Yuri Perez’s mentality and what he does between starts. … We’ve said before that he’s like a unicorn. He doesn’t look 20 years old because of his character.
“He had guys on base, on second base, multiple times today. You wouldn’t know those were big situations from his demeanor on the mound. You watch the body language, he’s like an ace in any situation, and he’s amazing.”
