'Baby goat' grows up before Marlins' eyes in season-opening gem

MIAMI – “Baby Goat” is being given new territory to roam in the 2026 season.

Right-hander Eury Pérez matched a career high with seven innings, and Owen Caissie drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth in Saturday’s 4-3 comeback victory over the Rockies at loanDepot park.

Pérez’s mentor, Sandy Alcantara, also tossed seven frames on Opening Day. This marks the fourth time in franchise history, and the first occasion since 2004, that the Marlins have gotten at least seven innings from their starters in back-to-back games to begin a season (Josh Beckett: 7 IP, April 6 vs. Expos; Brad Penny: 7 IP, April 7 vs. Expos).

“For both of them to go out and pitch as well as they have ... I think we expect more of those types of outings from them and the others through this season,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “Always nice for guys, their first start, to go out there and have a really nice one.”

Pérez, who turns 23 on April 15, is widely considered a potential breakout candidate around the Majors because of how nasty his stuff is. His four-seamer, which he collected five of his eight strikeouts on, maxed out at 100.4 mph. Only one of his 27 sliders and sweepers got tagged for a hit, when Ezequiel Tovar ambushed the first pitch for a two-run homer in the fourth.

Overall, Pérez recorded a quality start in his season debut by limiting Colorado to three runs on two homers while striking out eight batters and walking just one in a 93-pitch outing. Saturday was just the third time in 40 career starts that Pérez pitched into the seventh, also doing so on July 13 and Aug. 24, 2025.

“Of course, of course, that is what we are working for,” Pérez said in Spanish. “We are working for that, to be able to reach a moment in which we can already show like a horse here in this league.”

The kid gloves are coming off for Pérez, who underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2024 and returned in June 2025. Based on how the Marlins handled him on Saturday, last season’s restrictions are being eased.

When former teammate Troy Johnston led off the seventh with a single, McCullough allowed Pérez to work out of the jam. He retired the next three batters in order, stranding a baserunner in scoring position with an inning-ending strikeout of Edouard Julien on a 99.1 mph four-seamer.

“That gives me a little more motivation, already knowing that I can go farther in the game, knowing that I can also help the team, get more wins, too,” Pérez said. “It is not a pressure, but it is something that I think I deserve because of how we have worked for that. And that they give me those opportunities is nice.”

Added McCullough: “These are important things for Eury. We know how talented he is, and this is really his first chance [to] go from Opening Day through a full Major League season. It is like learning how to navigate different experiences within games. You’re going to give up homers, and those things kind of happen, and then you give up some runs. But I’m really proud of him, how he really stepped on it. He found another gear those last few innings. And that’s just part of learning how to be a real starting pitcher.

It’s easy to forget how young Pérez is despite making his Major League debut in 2023. This is his first Opening Day roster. At 22 years, 347 days, Pérez is the youngest starting pitcher in the Majors among those on active rosters.

Unlike Alcantara, Pérez settled for the no-decision since the Marlins didn’t break the deadlock until the eighth. After Otto Lopez singled and stole second to open the inning, Caissie (MLB Pipeline’s No. 41 overall prospect) lined a full-count 98 mph sinker up the middle for an RBI single.

Liam Hicks helped out his batterymate with a game-high three RBIs -- one on a sacrifice fly in the third, and two on a homer in the fifth.

“I think people forget how young he is. Really,” Hicks said. “Sometimes I do, too. It's awesome to see him [pitch] seven innings today, just be able to make the adjustment quick.

"I think the offspeed has just continued to get better and better every time he's gone out there. I think last year, there were times where he just kind of relied on the fastball, and I think now he's really turning into a complete pitcher, where he can throw any pitch in any count, which is really fun to catch.”