Marlins’ Eury Pérez pulled after 7 perfect innings, third in MLB history

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The Decision to Pull Eury Pérez at 92 Pitches

The Marlins’ decision to remove Pérez ahead of the eighth inning sparked immediate backlash from the crowd at Sutter Health Park. According to MLB.com, Pérez became only the third pitcher since at least 1900 to be pulled from a perfect game of seven innings or more, joining Rich Hill (2016) and Clayton Kershaw (2022). Pérez was dominating the Athletics, recording eight strikeouts and allowing only three balls to register as hard contact, as reported by NBC Sports. Despite his velocity remaining high—hitting 97.9 mph in the seventh—the organization adhered to a strict pitch count. “He had it really going today, and I totally get it; and there was a part of my heartstrings pulling at his opportunity to keep on going, but I think I have to think about Eury, one, and our organization, our team, and what’s best moving forward to give us a chance to continue to win games. So [I] made more of a calculated decision with where he was with the pitch count to take him out.” Clayton McCullough, Marlins Manager, via MLB.com McCullough told reporters there was “no consideration” for a batter-by-batter approach. He established a hard limit of 90 pitches plus one hitter for the outing.

Injury History and the Path to July 5

The caution surrounding Pérez’s workload stems from a volatile injury history. As USA Today reports, the 23-year-old right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery before the 2024 season, which sidelined him for the entirety of 2024 and half of 2025. More recently, Yahoo Sports notes that Pérez suffered right hamstring spasms in late May while stretching during a start. Sunday’s outing was only his third start since returning from that leg strain. The 92 pitches thrown on July 5 represented the highest count for Pérez since his return late last month. Because he has never thrown a complete game in the Major Leagues, the Marlins prioritized long-term health over the pursuit of the franchise’s first perfect game.

The Immediate Aftermath: A Near-Collapse

The decision to pull Pérez proved tactically risky in the short term. Reliever Lake Bachar entered the game and immediately dismantled the lead the Marlins had built. The transition from a perfect game to a chaotic rally happened in a matter of minutes.

• The Perfect Game Ends: Bachar walked Lawrence Butler, the first batter he faced.
• The No-Hitter Ends: Joshua Kuroda-Grauer hit a shallow single to right.
• The Shutout Ends: Carlos Cortes hit an RBI double.
• The Lead Shrinks: Jonah Heim hit a grand slam to bring the score to 8-5.

The Athletics’ momentum continued into the ninth inning, where Jonah Heim added a two-RBI single. The Marlins ultimately secured a 9-8 victory after closer Pete Fairbanks finished the game. The win pushed Miami to a 49-42 record and completed a three-game sweep.

Fan Reaction and Player Perspective

The atmosphere in West Sacramento turned hostile as soon as the pitching change was announced. Fans began chanting “shame” and pointing at the Marlins’ dugout, frustrated that they were denied a chance to see a historic achievement. Pérez expressed a mix of pride and discomfort regarding the crowd’s reaction. While he understood the fans’ desire for history, he emphasized the internal logic of the team’s plan. “I did feel bad, because they’re booing the manager, they’re booing my teammate. It’s something that doesn’t feel good, but I think they don’t know the inside that we know, right? That information, which I’m coming from an injury, we had a plan of 90 pitches and all that.” Eury Pérez, Marlins Pitcher, via MLB.com Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, who broke up the no-hitter, acknowledged the frustration of the crowd, stating, “That’s baseball. You see a guy take a perfect game almost into the eighth inning before he got pulled. They wanted to see him [do it].”

Historical Context and Future Outlook

Had Pérez completed the feat, it would have been the 25th perfect game in MLB history. The league has not seen a perfect game since June 28, 2023, when Domingo Germán of the New York Yankees achieved it—notably also against the Athletics. Within the Marlins’ own history, the last starter to reach seven innings without allowing a baserunner was Kevin Brown on June 10, 1997, in San Francisco. Brown went on to complete a no-hitter that day. While the “what-if” of the perfect game will linger, the primary takeaway for Miami is the health and form of their young star. Assuming his recovery remains on track, Pérez is scheduled to pitch against the Guardians over the coming weekend.

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