Eury Perez was the cusp of making history. Through 7 innings, not a single Athletics’ hitter had reached base. But at 92 pitches, Clayton McCullough made the decision to pull him from the game.
Clayton qoute: ” ”
Lake Bachar entered to start the 8th inning and immediately walked Lawrence Butler to lose the perfect game. The next hitter, Joshua Kuroda-Grauer hit a blooper to right field that fell in for a basehit. No-hitter gone. Just like that, a potentially historical day had evaporated in the warm Sacramento air.
Bachar than gave up a double and a walk before Jonah Heim crushed a grand slam to right-center. All of a sudden, it was 8-5.
The Marlins ended up winning the game, but it was a strange feeling with the way it ended.
Even thoiugh Eury did not get the opportunity to finish a perfect game, this was without a doubt the best game he’d ever pitched in his career. A’s hitters looked helpless at the plate. He finished his outing with 7 strikeouts.
Eury qoute “”
The Marlins’ bats had been on fire during the first two games at Sutter Health Park, and they didn’t let up on Sunday either.
Heriberto Hernandez homered off of Gage Jump in the first inning, and the route was on after that. Otto Lopez hit an RBI double in the 2nd inning, and Liam Hicks also added a sac-fly to make it 3-0.
Leo Jimenez got in on the fun in the 3rd with his first homer in a Marlins uniform. Otto Lopez and Heriberto Hernandez went back-to-back in the 6th innning for an 8-0 lead. The Marlins hit 12 home runs in Sacramento, the most out of any 3 game series in franchise history.
The Athletics pitchers just had no answers for this Marlins lineup all series long.