Eury Pérez retired all 21 batters he faced Sunday, and the Miami Marlins pulled him anyway — then nearly gave back an eight-run lead before closing out a 9-8 win over the Athletics for their third straight victory.
Pérez was perfect through seven innings: no hits, no walks, no hit batters, eight strikeouts, 92 pitches. Manager Clayton McCullough lifted him there, telling reporters, per the Associated Press, that he had to weigh what was best for Pérez and the organization over the long run. The right-hander has never thrown a complete game in his major league career, and Miami has been deliberate with his workload since his return from elbow surgery. The decision was defensible. The next twenty minutes made it look expensive.
Lake Bachar opened the eighth by walking Lawrence Butler, ending the bid for a combined perfect game, and failed to record an out — five runs, four hits, capped by Jonah Heim, who drove in six of the Athletics’ eight runs on the day. Pete Fairbanks allowed three more in the ninth before ending it with the tying run aboard.
The offense that built the 8-0 lead deserves more than a footnote. Otto Lopez went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBI, Heriberto Hernández homered twice in a 3-for-4 afternoon, and Leo Jiménez added a home run of his own in a 16-hit attack.
But the day belonged to Pérez, and the honest read is that both things are true: a 23-year-old carrying a perfect game is exactly the asset you protect, and this team is now 49-42, sitting third in the NL East on a three-game winning streak, playing games that matter in July. Protecting the future and chasing the present are about to collide more often. Sunday was the preview.
