MIAMI -- Whenever Marlins right-hander Eury Pérez threw a pitch during Saturday’s 7-0 loss to the Braves at loanDepot park, familiar faces cheered him on from the second row behind home plate.
For the first time in Pérez’s professional career, his family -- parents Eddy and Xiomara and sister Erlenys -- got to watch him pitch in person. It was a moment over two years in the making, so no wonder he had extra giddyup on his offerings and felt the love and support while on the mound.
“We were planning since ‘23, trying to have my family here, and then the injury happened,” Pérez said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “It was not possible. So we were aiming to have them here at home. It happened. This was the first time, and I truly hope that they stay here for a long time and they can watch me play for several other games.”
The 22-year-old Pérez, who was making his third start in return from Tommy John surgery, and first at home since Sept. 20, 2023, allowed three runs on four hits with six strikeouts and two walks. He tallied 11 pitches of at least 99 mph, including a 100.4 mph heater for the fastest pitch of his MLB career to strike out Matt Olson in the third.
Adrenaline likely played a role in Pérez opening the game with five straight balls -- all fastballs -- before retiring the next two batters. But Atlanta took advantage of Pérez’s leadoff walk to Ronald Acuña Jr., who scored from first on Marcell Ozuna’s RBI double to right by running through a stop sign from third-base coach Fredi Gonzalez.
After Michael Harris II’s two-out single in the second, Pérez retired eight of the next nine hitters until Nick Allen, the ninth batter in the lineup, reached on a broken-bat single. Acuña followed with an RBI double to left. Pérez induced a groundout to first before being pulled at 89 pitches. Righty Lake Bachar permitted an inherited runner to score, ending Pérez’s line.
“Today, [I] wasn't going to have him start [facing] a hitter, 85 to 90 pitches was going to be it today, so once he got past that point today with where we're at in this build-up and the progression that he's on,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “For him to get to that point today and really throw a lot of high-quality pitches, that was -- certainly of the three so far -- that was the best. And again, another one he can bank and continue to build on.
“When you talk about the velocity, the extension that he has, as a hitter, you have to respect that type of velocity. When he's able to then throw some wrinkles in there, it's going to make the fastball play up that much more.”
In his last start in Washington, Pérez didn’t strike out a batter for just the second time in his big league career. This time, McCullough and Pérez credited his four-seamer and slider combination for better results. His first seven pitches of the game were fastballs, six of them four-seamers, before branching out. The slider is one offering that the organization wants him to continue using.
“There's been a huge improvement since the first one,” Pérez said. “Continue to build up with each outing I'm doing and just working on some of the pitches. Like I mentioned, the slider, right? It's one of the pitches I've been working with. I was throwing a little slower. Now it's picking up speed, but I believe I'm out there, I'm competing with all this every time I go out there on the mound, and feeling better with each start.”
While the second-largest attendance (21,198) of the season at loanDepot park was largely due to the second annual Flanigan’s Fest, Pérez being back marks the return of appointment viewing.
For Pérez’s next couple home starts, his family won’t need to settle for watching from afar. They have been staying with Pérez since Monday, and they plan to be here for a month before returning home to Santiago, Dominican Republic.
“We feel very grateful that he's coming back,” Eddy told MLB.com via Dorante. “We've always been very proud of him, whatever he does. We're very proud. But also, very thankful for God putting him ahead, helping, and I think not only I feel proud, I have no words to describe this moment, but also I think it's great for everybody else, for the fans just to have him back.”