On July 5, 2026, Miami Marlins right-hander Eury Pérez was pulled after seven perfect innings, a decision that sparked immediate backlash from Athletics fans and nearly cost his team a 9-8 victory, according to multiple reports. Pérez, who had struck out eight batters and allowed just three hard-hit balls, was lifted after 92 pitches by manager Clayton McCullough, who cited a plan to preserve the 23-year-old’s health for the postseason. “Us looking to play beyond the regular season, Eury’s going to be an important part of that,” McCullough said, per MLB.com.
Why the Decision? A Calculated Risk
McCullough’s choice to pull Pérez after seven innings marked the third time since 1900 a pitcher had been removed from a perfect game of seven innings or more, joining Rich Hill in 2016 and Clayton Kershaw in 2022. The manager emphasized a strict pitch count threshold, stating, “90 plus a batter was the number of pitches I was going to feel comfortable with letting him throw today.” This approach reflected concerns about Pérez’s recent injury history, including Tommy John surgery in 2024 and a recent leg strain, as noted by NBC Sports.
Pérez, who had never thrown more than 102 pitches in a major league outing, was also under pressure to avoid overexertion. His 92 pitches on Sunday were the most he had thrown since returning from the injured list on June 24, according to CBS Sports. McCullough acknowledged the emotional conflict, saying, “There was a part of my heartstrings pulling at his opportunity to keep on going,” but insisted the decision was “a calculated decision of where he was with his pitch count.”
Fan Backlash and the Collapse of the Perfect Game
The move ignited a wave of boos and chants from Athletics fans, who had hoped to witness history. As Pérez exited, the crowd at Sutter Health Park erupted with “SHAME!” according to SI.com. The backlash was immediate: reliever Lake Bachar, inserted to start the eighth inning, walked the first batter, allowed a single, and surrendered a grand slam to Jonah Heim, collapsing the Marlins’ 8-0 lead. “I did. I did hear them,” said Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, who hit the game’s first hit, per MLB.com. “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].”
For more on this story, see Fans Erupt in ‘Shame!’ as Perfect Game and No-Hitter Crumble in Marlins Loss.
The Marlins’ bullpen struggled further, with Bachar allowing five runs without recording an out. Despite a late rally by Miami’s offense, including two homers by Heriberto Hernández, the team survived only after closer Pete Fairbanks surrendered three runs in the ninth, per USA Today.
What This Means for Pérez and the Marlins
The decision to pull Pérez underscores the tension between short-term performance and long-term health in modern baseball. Pérez, who has never thrown a complete game in his major league career, faces scrutiny for his limited experience in high-pitch-count situations. “He had it really going today,” McCullough said, “but I have to think about Eury, one, and our organization, our team, and what’s best moving forward.”
The Marlins, currently 49-42, are in a tight race for a playoff spot, and McCullough’s strategy reflects the team’s focus on the postseason. However, the incident has raised questions about the balance between player development and immediate results. “It’s something that doesn’t feel good,” Pérez said, per CBS Sports, “but I’m very proud of my team and very proud of my manager.”
Historical Context and the Rarity of Perfect Games
Pérez’s near-perfect game added to a storied history of no-hitters and perfect games in MLB.
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