MIAMI -- Marlins right-hander Eury Pérez wants to be considered among the game’s elite.
In his latest test to prove he is on that path, Pérez outdueled Paul Skenes in Tuesday night’s 2-0 victory over the Pirates at loanDepot park. Miami (61-59) won its third in a row, bringing the club within 2 1/2 games of the Diamondbacks, Phillies and Padres, who are all tied (64-57) for the third NL Wild Card spot.
“It feels very nice,” Pérez said via interpreter Luis Dorante. “I had those situations before facing [Jacob] Misiorowski or [Jacob] deGrom and just going out there, trying to get the ‘W.’ To me, it’s a type of confidence. It feels like I’m at that level as well. I’ve been working a lot, and someday, hopefully, I will get a Cy Young as well. Just being able to do that is just a shot of adrenaline just being out there.”
Pérez tossed a career-high-tying seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits -- all singles -- with two walks and seven strikeouts. He didn’t permit a runner in scoring position thanks to Heriberto Hernández throwing out former teammate Ronny Simon trying to stretch a single into a double to end the seventh.
Over his last 11 starts, Pérez has posted a 1.82 ERA -- fourth lowest in the Majors for pitchers with at least 60 innings thrown since May 22 when this stretch began. Pérez set a career high for most starts in a season (21) and added to his already career high for frames (116 2/3) in Tuesday’s outing.
If Pérez isn’t elite yet, he’s certainly trending that way.
“He's going to have to put together some longer stretches, but I think [if] you look at these last 10-12 starts, it's hard to think [of] anyone that is really throwing the ball better and suppressing runs like he has,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “And it's how he's doing it, again, with how much better the arsenal is, how many more pitches he has that he can go to with an outing to attack both side hitters, the strike-throwing.
“So now, when you're competitively in the zone, the frequency at which he has been with the type of weapons he has is just, again, it's a really tough at-bat. He's definitely trending that way, and the version that we've seen here recently, I think is the version we knew what he was capable of. He just keeps his head down and just continues to go and work, because right now, he's been fantastic.”
It’s crazy to think Pérez, 23, debuted about a month before Skenes, 24, was taken first overall in the 2023 MLB Draft.
Since then, Skenes has earned the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year Award, 2025 NL Cy Young Award and was named a three-time All-Star. During that span, Pérez underwent Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2024 campaign. Upon his return, Pérez went through his growing pains in 2025-26.
This recent stretch is Pérez showcasing what once made him a highly touted prospect.
"He's fun to watch,” Skenes said of Pérez. “I didn't watch a ton of his outing today just because I was throwing. ... I really enjoy watching him pitch. I mean, pretty much the whole staff over there. I like watching those guys pitch. Just got really good stuff, and they're going right after you."
Added McCullough pregame: “Everyone has such a different path to how they've gotten here, and then in order to stay here and be a real consistent performer year after year, you have to make adjustments, and sometimes you have to get knocked down a little bit to be able to get yourself back up and go figure out what's next to keep it going. I think we're seeing that with Eury now, someone who's taken some licks in a young Major League career, but all those experiences are beneficial and help him feel what he's doing right now.”
Miami did just enough against Skenes, who was chased after just 65 pitches.
With Kyle Stowers landing on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain, Griffin Conine moved from right field to first base, allowing Esteury Ruiz to slot in his place.
Ruiz, batting ninth in the lineup, ambushed Skenes’ 95.5 mph four-seamer for a solo homer with one out in the third and surpassed his single-season career-high with his sixth home run.
In the fifth, Ruiz used his legs to manufacture another run. He reached on a hit-by-pitch and advanced to second on a delayed steal. When shortstop Jacob Gonzalez’s short-hopped throw got past first baseman Spencer Horwitz and into the dugout on Xavier Edwards’ grounder up the middle, Ruiz scored on the play.
“Nothing is more fun than hitting a home run,” Ruiz said in Spanish.