Perez, the Rangers’ growing left-hander, followed up his first major league complete game with a suitable encore: outperforming his idol. Perez pitched seven innings in a 15-3 victory against Seattle and its ace, “King Felix” Hernandez, at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
Perez was not as precise as he was in the complete-game win Sunday at Houston. He trailed after four pitches but gathered himself and harnessed the excitement brought on by facing a national hero in his homeland of Venezuela. Perez grew up watching telecasts of Hernandez’s games and marveling at his ability.
The win returned the Rangers to a 1 1/2-game lead over Oakland in the AL West.
“Winning the game, pitching against Felix Hernandez, it’s great,” Perez said. “I feel pretty good now.”
Perez has won three consecutive starts. In his last four starts, he has a 2.12 ERA. With the rotation down to four healthy starters, Perez is blooming at the right time for the Rangers.
“You’re watching him grow in front of your eyes,” manager Ron Washington said. “But as I always say, a couple of outings don’t make a season. Just let the kid continue to pitch and have fun and grow. Watch it and enjoy it.”
Hernandez entered with the American League’s top ERA at 2.28. He lasted only five innings, allowing five runs. The Rangers beat Hernandez for the third time in four meetings this season.
They spotted Hernandez a two-run advantage but flattened him with a five-run second inning that featured a suicide-squeeze bunt and a hit-and-run single, but no homers.
“That inning was perfect,” said Elvis Andrus, who had a vital hit.
The Rangers had near-flawless execution in the second. The telling fact was the Rangers had six plate appearances with a runner at third and fewer than two outs. They scored on four of those appearances.
Jurickson Profar drove in a run with a single, and David Murphy followed with a two-run double against his favorite pitcher. Murphy is hitting .329 with 16 RBIs in 73 career at-bats against Hernandez.
The Rangers played small ball to get the final two runs. Leonys Martin put a squeeze bunt in the perfect spot, scoring Profar. Andrus followed with a hit-and-run single through the gaping hole on the right side, producing the final run of the inning.
The Rangers won their sixth consecutive game in which they did not hit a homer, tying Cleveland for the longest such streak in the AL. They scored a season-high in runs and matched the second-highest run total for a homerless game in club history. The Rangers had 16 in a homerless win against Detroit in 1976.
“They were grinding against a very good pitcher,” Washington said. “When we can do that, that’s when we’re at our best.”
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