After two lackluster starts in his return to the big leagues, Pérez regained his dominant form by striking out a career-high 10 batters over six scoreless innings on Saturday afternoon in a 3-1 loss to the Dodgers in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Dodger Stadium. Unfortunately for the Marlins, Pérez’s performance was wasted when righty David Robertson allowed three runs in the decisive eighth.
Miami got swept in the twin bill despite another strong performance from its starter in the nightcap. Lefty Braxton Garrett allowed three runs over six innings, but Mookie Betts took him deep twice in another 3-1 loss. The Marlins (64-61) dropped a half-game behind the Cubs (63-59) and Reds (64-60) for the final National League Wild Card spot, and into a tie with the D-backs (64-61).