Wahoos Weekly: Perez sendoff begins new week in big way

By late April of the Blue Wahoos’ 2022 season, Eury Perez found a groove that fast-tracked him into stardom.

His fourth start was against the Biloxi Shuckers, after just turning 19 years old. He allowed one hit and no runs that night. He struck out 12 batters in five innings, which remains a career high. The rest of the season, there were only two starts where he allowed more than three runs.

A little more than 15 months later, his scheduled start on Tuesday at Blue Wahoos Stadium could become a Pensacola farewell. Ironically, it is against the Biloxi Shuckers.

Once more, with an encore feeling, before an expected return to the Miami Marlins and resumption of his acclaimed-filled rookie season in Major League Baseball.

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After a brief workout Monday at Blue Wahoos Stadium, Perez was set to take the mound Tuesday with a limited pitch count as the Blue Wahoos begin their homestand against the Shuckers. He has been with the Blue Wahoos for the past three weeks since the MLB All-Star Break.

He made a three-inning start last week on the road against the Mississippi Braves, which was his first mound appearance since July 6 when he faced the St. Louis Cardinals and gave up just one run in six innings. That was his 11th big league start since going from Pensacola to Miami in early May.

Following the Cardinals game, the Marlins applied the brakes on the 20-year-old, 6-foot-8 phenom, who has already thrown more innings – now 86.2 – than any time in his career.

He had never thrown more than 78 innings in a season. The Marlins wanted him to take a break, fearful of over-extending the righthander, whose fastball routinely approaches 100 mph.

“The plan was always to get him into competition,” said Marlins general manager Kim Ng, speaking to the Miami Herald on the progress of Perez. “We’re creating a path for him to come back. We’ll take it day by day and see where the staff is, see where he is, and just make sure that we monitor this really closely.”

Tuesday could be the last time Perez pitches for the Blue Wahoos. On Sept. 1, the team is honoring his two seasons with a Eury Perez Bobblehead Night.

Not many 20-year-old MLB rookies have ever had a bobblehead created so early in their career and by their former minor league team, but Perez made such an impression that it merited memorabilia.

He gave Blue Wahoos fans plenty to marvel about.

WAHOOS NOTABLES

ON A ROLL – The Blue Wahoos enter this homestand having won nine of their last 12 games. They took four of six games on the road against the M-Braves last week, all from the strength of their pitching staff. They won the first three games with a pair of one-run wins and the other being 4-1. In the first five games, the pitchers had combined to yield just nine runs.

BERRY DEBUT – Former LSU star Jacob Berry, who was the Miami Marlins’ top draft selection in 2022, will play his first games this week at Blue Wahoos Stadium. He made his Double-A debut last week against the Mississippi Braves, collecting five hits in 24 at-bats in the series, including his first Double-A home run in Sunday’s finale. He had three RBI and two stolen bases in the series. Berry, a corner infielder, was the sixth overall selection in the 2022 MLB Draft and began this season in High-A with the Beloit Sky Carp.

JOHNSTON SHINES IN JAX – After being elevated to Triple-A Jacksonville, former Blue Wahoos star Troy Johnston continued his strong production at the plate. In six games last week for the Jumbo Shrimp, Johnston had 11 hits, including at least one hit in every game and multiple hits in four games. He batted .440 with three doubles, two homers, four RBI and three runs scored.

MOTHER’S LOVE – Shirley Studer, the mother of Blue Wahoos team owner Quint Studer, was among the Blue Wahoos biggest fans. She either attended games in person or in her later years, she faithfully listened to every radio broadcast in the 11-year history of the franchise. She passed away last week, four months shy of her 99th birthday. The Blue Wahoos were set to honor her memory Tuesday night at the ballpark with photos, videos, a song she loved and other tributes.

JAKE’S BEEN GREAT – After joining the Blue Wahoos in early July, following 22 months of recovery from two surgeries, acclaimed lefthander Jake Eder, the Marlins No. 4 rated prospect, has made a steady progression into the form he showed in 2021.

That season with the Blue Wahoos he was among the most dominating pitchers in Minor League Baseball before developing an elbow injury in July that led to Tommy John surgery. Eder’s last start on July 29 with the Blue Wahoos was his deepest, going into the sixth inning with 10 strikeouts – the second most in his pro career. He allowed just one hit, two runs, two walks and a hit batter across 5.2 innings. He’s scheduled to make his next start this weekend at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

UP NEXT

This week: It will be the fourth series this season against the Biloxi Shuckers, the Milwaukee Brewers affiliate, and second time in Blue Wahoos Stadium. The teams split their last meeting in Pensacola. The Shuckers are coming off a six-game home sweep last week against the Birmingham Barons to take over the second-half lead in the Southern League South Division.  Biloxi is battling Montgomery for the second-half playoff spot to face the Blue Wahoos in post-season.

The Shuckers boast two of baseball’s best prospects, outfielder Jackson Chourio and catcher Jeferson Quero. The 19-year-old Chourio is the No. 2 overall prospect in Minor League Baseball as ranked by MLB Pipeline. He is the first teenager to hit 15 or more home runs in a season at the Double-A level since San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. did so in 2018. Quero is ranked the No. 58 overall prospect in MiLB by Baseball America. Both appeared in the MLB Futures Game in Seattle with the Blue Wahoos' Patrick Monteverde and Nasim Nunez.

WANT TO GO?

WHO: Biloxi Shuckers vs. Blue Wahoos

WHEN: Tuesday through Sunday.

WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium.

GAMETIMES: Tuesday through Friday games begin at 6:35 p.m., Saturday’s game is at 6:05 p.m., Sunday is at 4:05 p.m.

TICKETS: Available online at www.bluewahoos.com/tickets. Or at the stadium box office throughout the week.

LIVE AUDIO: A live broadcast of each game will begin five minutes before first pitch on www.bluewahoos.com and the MiLB First Pitch App.

LIVE VIDEO STREAM: A live video broadcast is available through Bally Live and MiLB TV (subscription required).

PROMOTIONS

Tuesday: Doggone Tuesday sponsored by Anderson Subaru with people allowed to bring their beloved dogs to the game. And it’s one price tickets for $18 that include hot, chips, drink and best available seat.

Wednesday: Winning Wednesday sponsored by Hill-Kelly that includes baseball bingo and it will be the last summer, mid-week fireworks show of the season.

Thursday: Mullet Thursday with Blue Wahoos wearing Pensacola Mullets uniforms and drink specials for those of legal age throughout the game.

Friday: Giveaway Friday. The first 1,000 fans will receive a Blue Wahoos jersey-design lunchbox container from sponsor Columbia Southern University. It will be Stars Wars night with special Stars Wars characters in attendance and Star Wars music as well as Blue Wahoos memorabilia and other autographed auction items with proceeds going to the Studer Community Institute.

Saturday: Fireworks Saturday. Post-game fireworks presented by Hill-Kelly, plus CivicCon Night to honor the ongoing series of CivicCon events that benefit community awareness.

Sunday: Family Sunday presented by WKRG-News 5 with children able to run the bases following the game and families able to toss soft baseballs in the outfield.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE STANDINGS

Through Monday, July 31

(Overall Record, Second-Half Record)

NORTH DIVISION

Tennessee Smokies (Chicago Cubs) – 54-41, 18-9

Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds) – 51-44, 13-14

Rocket City Trash Pandas (LA Angels) – 42-53, 11-15

Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox) – 33-62, 8-18

SOUTH DIVISION

Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Miami Marlins) – 57-38, 16-11

Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers) – 51-45, 17-10

Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays) – 49-46, 13-13

Mississippi Braves (Atlanta Braves) – 43-51, 10-16

NOTE: Chattanooga and Pensacola have qualified for the divisional playoffs which begin Sept. 19. The second half of the Southern League standings will determine the opponents.

Bill Vilona is a retired Pensacola News Journal sports columnist and now senior writer for Pensacola Blue Wahoos. He can be reached at bvilona@bluewahoos.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Blue Wahoos' Eury Perez expected to return to Miami Marlins