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 However, Sunday against the San Francisco Giants he was nearly
unhittable.
Perez, who was making just his fourth start since returning from
Tommy John surgery, allowed just two hits in 8 1/3 innings as the
Rangers edged the Giants 2-1.
Perez didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning and was pulled after
allowing a one-out double to San Francisco center fielder Angel
Pagan in the ninth inning. Pagan eventually came around to score
before Sam Dyson got a double-play grounder from San Francisco
designated hitter Hunter Pence to secure the win for Perez and earn
his first career save.
Perez needed just 80 pitches to retire 25 batters. He struck out six
and didn't walk a batter in earning his first win of the season.
He's the first big leaguer to retire at least 25 batters on 80 or
fewer pitches since Kansas City's Luke Hochevar did it in a
complete-game win on June 12, 2009.
"My sinker was there, my changeup was amazing and my heartbeat was
resting," Perez said. "I think that was the key. When I got the
timing of the game I get quick outs and I get games like today. I
want to continue to do that and just be ready for my next start."
As good as Perez was, he didn't have any run support until the sixth
inning. That's when Texas left fielder Josh Hamilton smacked a
two-run homer off new San Francisco starter Mike Leake. Leake had
retired the first two batters of the inning before first baseman
Mitch Moreland singled ahead of Hamilton.
That was all the support Perez needed. He set the tone with a
five-run first and didn't allow a hit until Justin Maxwell's two-out
infield single in the fifth inning. Texas manager Jeff Banister said
after eight innings he was going batter by batter with Perez and
turned the game over to the bullpen.
"He (Perez) threw the ball well," Banister said. "He pounded the
strike zone. You could look up at the board and see the number of
strikes to the number of balls, he pounded the strike zone all day
long. More than anything else, I think the pace he went throughout
his business and kept these guys in swing mode, he was able to get
them to hit the ball on the ground."
San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said the Perez the Giants faced
was different from the one who had a 10.50 ERA in his three starts
coming into Sunday's game.
"He hit his spots, kept it down, was pitching to contact," Bochy
said. "We smothered a lot of balls off him. We couldn't get his
count up. Was one of the better games we've had pitched against us.
Good change-up, slider to go with his fastball. Located well. Really
hit only two or three balls decent."
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Leake didn't pitch badly either. He allowed just the two runs on
eight hits in his 6 1/3 innings. The eight hits were the most he'd
allowed in a start since July 5 but he spread them around as no
Texas batter had more than one hit.
Leake was nearly off the hook in the ninth. After Perez was pulled,
left-hander Jake Diekman walked left fielder Nori Aoki and was
pulled for Dyson. Dyson allowed back-to-back singles to third
baseman Matt Duffy and catcher Buster Posey before getting Pence to
hit a grounder to Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus.
The Giants rallied from three down in the eighth Saturday for a 9-7
win and thought they had another chance Sunday.
"It definitely felt like it was going to happen again," Pence said.
"We all think we're going to win until the last out is made. I
definitely don't feel great about my at-bat. Grounding into a double
play with a 2-0 count, but you've also got to give some credit to
Dyson."
NOTES: Texas put RHP Tanner Scheppers on the 15-day disabled list
with left knee inflammation. The set-up man has a 5.66 ERA in 38
appearances for the Rangers. ... Texas recalled RHP Phil Klein to
take the roster spot of Scheppers. This is fourth stint with the
Rangers this season and the second in a week. ... The Rangers have
used four catchers since the All-Star break. That matches the most
catchers the Rangers have used in a single season since needing six
in 2001. ... Texas 2B Rougned Odor was selected the team's player of
the month for July after batting .319 with five home runs and 16
RBIs. ... Giants 2B Joe Panik was out of Sunday's lineup because of
back stiffness. It is the second time in a week that Panik has
missed time because of the back. ... The Giants lead the majors in
scoring runs with two outs. Five of the nine runs scored by San
Francisco in its 9-7 win Saturday came with two outs, pushing its
percentage of runs this year with two outs to 44 percent.
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