MIAMI — Eury Perez’s final pitching line wasn’t very different from his recent major league debut except one very important difference.
This time, he and the Marlins won.
In just his second start in the majors, Perez picked up his first major league victory to help the Marlins extend their winning streak to four as they prepare to begin a 10-game, three-city road trip Friday in San Francisco.
Perez, the Marlins’ top overall prospect, tossed five innings and gave up one run — a solo home run to Jeimer Candelario in the fourth inning — on three hits and one walk and struck out six on 78 pitches.
Perez was handed the lineup card for the game as a keepsake soon after what he described as a joyous celebration in the clubhouse in which his teammates put him in one of the clothing carts for a ride around the room and soaked him with water.
Perez said after the game he’d keep the lineup card with the baseball from the game at home where he keeps several other awards he’s won so far in his career.
“It was incredible. I was just trying to work quickly and get outs,” Perez said. “The way these guys received me in the clubhouse was incredible.”
Perez didn’t crank up the velocity as much as he did in his debut last Friday when his fastball topped out at 99.1 mph.
Instead, he averaged 96.3 mph and topped out at 98.3 mph, throwing 37 fastballs overall and inducing 16 swings and one whiff according to Statcast.
“Just trying to adjust more to the major league level and just competing and doing the job and having confidence in what I can do,” Perez said. “I have a good fastball, but they know that so I tried locating it but using my secondary stuff as well because I know teams will be ready for the fastball.”
But using his mix of slider, change-up and curveball, Perez kept hitters off balance enough aside from Candelario’s 443-foot solo blast off a 94.9-mph fastball.
“Throwing all his pitches for strikes is what’s the most impressive,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “The curveball was good. The change-up was good. The slider was good behind the count for strikes. He was pitching, not relying on his stuff and throwing (his fastball) everywhere. Pretty cool to see him get his first win at home. ... If he gives us five like that, he gives us a really good chance to win.”
Despite dealing with multiple injuries to key players, the Marlins (23-21) remain in second place in the NL East.
During a time in which the Miami Heat and Florida Panthers are dominating the South Florida scene with their improbable runs to the Eastern Conference finals in their respective leagues, Schumaker said he doesn’t mind that his team’s solid start remains under the radar.
“All of our guys are wearing Panthers shirts on the flight so we’re aware of what’s going on and it’s a special time to be here,” Schumaker said. “But I think we have a fun team to watch too. When those seasons end and hopefully they win a championship, people can come watch our games.”
Bryan De La Cruz continued to swing a hot bat, crushing a solo home run 402 feet to center to give the Marlins their first run in the bottom of the second. It was De La Cruz’s only hit of the game, but extended his career-high 12-game hitting streak.
The Nationals scored a pair of runs off Huascar Brazoban in the eighth to cut the Marlins’ lead to 4-3 on a double by Candelario and an RBI single by former Marlin Corey Dickerson. But Brazoban then induced an inning-ending double play from Keibert Ruiz.
Nick Fortes’ two-out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth gave the Marlins an insurance run. Dylan Floro picked up his fourth save of the season.
Xavier Edwards, an alum of North Broward Prep in Coconut Creek, made a spot start in center field and went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI. Edwards’ alma mater is aiming for its third consecutive state championship this weekend in Fort Myers.
