ATLANTA -- When a starting pitcher is a late scratch around this time of year, there’s reason to wonder if the decision is tied to a pending trade. The same goes for any pitcher who is abruptly called to the manager’s office.
It’s safe to say Martín Pérez was concerned when pitching coach Jeremy Hefner told him manager Walt Weiss needed to talk to him approximately an hour before Saturday’s scheduled first pitch against the Nationals at Truist Park.
“I was taking a nap and then I went [to the bathroom], and I hear my pitching coach yelling, ‘Martín,’ and I was like, ‘They traded me,’” Pérez said. “But then he told me Reynaldo López got something in his knee.”
Pérez went to Weiss’ office, where he confirmed he was willing to start the game despite having spent the afternoon preparing to start on Sunday. His selfless decision was followed by an incredible effort. The veteran lefty carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning of an 8-3 win over the Nationals on Saturday night.
“He was obviously way off of his routine,” Weiss said. “But that was an unbelievable performance. He’s an unbelievable teammate, a warrior, all those things.”
Brady House’s two-out single to right field in the seventh inning ended Pérez’s bid to become the first Braves pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Kent Mercker on April 8, 1994. The veteran hurler entered the seventh inning having thrown just 59 pitches.
Pérez allowed just the one hit while recording six strikeouts over seven scoreless innings. His season-long effort marked just the 10th time a Braves pitcher completed seven-plus innings this year and just the second time since May 20. Chris Sale (five times), Bryce Elder (three times) and JR Ritchie (once) are the only other Atlanta pitchers to last at least seven innings this year.
Pérez retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced and pitched around a pair of Jim Jarvis errors at shortstop within the first four innings. He retired nine straight before House’s single.
“It was one of the best games of my career,” Pérez said.
It will also be one of the finest stories of his career. The Braves were staring at disaster when head athletic trainer George Poulis raced down the clubhouse hallway, burst into Weiss’ office and informed him that López had injured his left knee while making preparations to start a game that would begin in about an hour.
“George came crashing into my room, kind of like Kramer from Seinfeld," Weiss said. "And he said, "López can't pitch.’ So we were just kind of looking at each other.”
Weiss offered Pérez a chance to get more time to prepare by saying they could use an opener. But every suggestion was declined by the veteran southpaw, who had to do just one thing before he went out to prepare for the game.
“I called my wife about three minutes before I went out there to [warm up], and I was like, ‘You’ve got to come to the game.’ She was like, ‘Why?’ I was like, ‘Because I’m pitching tonight.’ She was like, ‘Why are you pitching?’ I was like, ‘Because we have nobody else.’”
López’s injury adds to the list of concerns about the Braves’ rotation. Before this setback, there was already a lot of attention being placed on Atlanta’s need to add a starting pitcher before Monday’s 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline.
National League Cy Young Award candidate Sale has been the rotation’s rock throughout the season, and Elder has been solid, minus the rough patch he hit in June. But one of the rotation’s best pieces this year has been Pérez, who came to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee and then opted to re-sign with Atlanta when he was designated for assignment because of a roster crunch in April.
Pérez has pitched on short notice, provided consistent starts and even made some key relief appearances while posting a 3.24 ERA over 97 1/3 innings this year. But the story many will best remember about this season was the one he constructed when he awoke from a nap just in time to flirt with history.
“He showed once again what he’s made of and what he’s all about,” Weiss said.