Pérez Dominates As Blue Wahoos Finish Series With Win Over M-Braves

May 8, 2023

Eury Pérez may have just left a lasting impression with the Blue Wahoos.

If so, it became a memorable one.

Pérez, ranked as the top prospect in the Miami Marlins minor league system, overcame a first-pitch home run to start the game then matched his best start of the season as the Blue Wahoos hung on in the ninth inning Sunday for a 5-4 victory against the Mississippi Braves.

A crowd of 4,567 at Blue Wahoos Stadium watched the home team win for the fifth time this week and 10th win in the past 11 games, enabling the Blue Wahoos (16-11) to finish the first month of the season with the best record in Southern League.

This was the third consecutive strong outing by Pérez, rated the No. 11 overall prospect in Minor League Baseball by MLB Pipeline. He dazzled Sunday by retiring the next 12 batters in order following the leadoff home run. He threw just 39 pitches through four innings, then pitched out of a bases-loaded jam get out of the fifth inning when Cal Conley was called for runner’s interference on a slow roller that Pérez fielded.

That became the game’s pivotal moment.

Pérez (3-1, 2.32 ERA) finished the sixth inning throwing 79 pitches in the game, 51 for strikes with nine strikeouts and two walks. In the sixth inning he threw a 100 mph fastball, followed by a 99-mph fastball, to coax a flyout from M-Braves slugger Drew Lugbauer, the club’s all-time home run leader, for the final out and final batter Perez faced.

The Blue Wahoos offense backed Pérez with a four-run third inning, highlighted by Griffin Conine’s solo homer, followed by Nasim Nuñez hitting a two-run blast. The other run scored on an infield throwing error.

The Blue Wahoos made it 5-1 in the fourth inning when Will Banfield walked, moved over to third on a pair of hits, and scored on a bases-loaded balk.

Conine completed a big weekend at the plate by going 2-for-3 with a run scored and his second homer in two days. He now has three for the season. Nuñez also went 2-for-3.

The first two relievers to follow Pérez, Patrick Murphy and Jefry Yan, pitched scoreless innings.

But the game got suspenseful in the ninth inning after the M-Braves hit a pair of home runs against Austin Roberts to trim a 5-1 lead into having the tying run at the plate with none out.

After Blue Wahoos pitching coach Dave Eiland visited the mound to calm Roberts, the righthander retired the last three batters in order to end the game.

It led to the large crowd being able to enter the outfield to toss baseballs and have kids 12-under run the bases in what has become a popular Sunday event.

The Blue Wahoos will have Monday off before traveling to Birmingham, Ala. to begin a six-game series against the Birmingham Barons, the Chicago White Sox affiliate, beginning on Tuesday at Regions Field. The Barons took four of six games from the Blue Wahoos in their only Pensacola meeting two weeks ago.

written by Bill Vilona, photos Blue Wahoos

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News, Sports, TOP sports