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Indians closer Perez works an inning for Scrappers
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Cleveland Indians closer Chris Perez delivers a pitch during the fourth inning of a New York-Penn League game between the Mahoning Valley Scrappers and the Auburn Doubledays on Tuesday at Eastwood Field. Perez, who has been out with a shoulder injury, pitched for the Scrappers as part of a rehabilitation assignment. He worked a one-two-three inning and struck out a batter.
By Ryan Buck
NILES
One inning pitched — 14 pitches, 11 for strikes and three quick outs.
Chris Perez’s appearance Tuesday night at Eastwood Field was brief, but it was all the Cleveland Indians closer needed.
Perez’s inning of relief likely concluded his 15-day stint on the disabled list in the Mahoning Valley Scrappers’ storm-shortened 4-1 win over the visiting Auburn Doubledays.
The Scrappers struck in the bottom of the first. With runners on first and third, shortstop James Roberts’ hard ground ball found its way into left field to score Claudio Bautista, who led off the game with a double down the left field line.
Roberts was stepping in for his first professional at-bat.
Bautista then gave the Scrappers a 3-0 lead an inning later when his second double of the game scored Brian Ruiz from third base and Sicnarf Loopstock from first.
Bautista strolled home on Nellie Rodriguez’s two-out single to right to give Mahoning Valley a 4-0 lead.
With the offense effective, Matt Whitehouse kept the Doubledays hitless throught the first three innings before giving way to Perez. Whitehouse threw 40 pitches, including 28 strikes.
“I tried to attack the hitters like I would in a big-league game,” said Perez, who has converted six of eight save opportunities with a 4.32 earned run average this season. “
The right-hander, out since May 26 with soreness in his right shoulder, began the bottom of the fourth inning with a three-pitch strikeout of Doubledays second baseman David Masters. He snared a ground ball back to the mound from Wilmer Difo for the second out.
Austin Chubb got ahead of Perez, who went after him with a fastball-slider combination, and fouled off three pitches before a flyout to Nick Hamilton in left field.
“I fell behind that last guy which wasn’t good, but I was able to come back and get him and felt good out there,” Perez said. “I was trying to keep the ball down. The ball had some life and they were chasing some balls up.”
Perez’s appearance with Mahoning Valley is his third and perhaps final rehab assignment before returning to Cleveland today for further evaluation.
Tuesday night’s work was much more encouraging than the five-run, three-home run outing last Tuesday for Cleveland’s Double-A affiliate in Akron.
“It felt normal,” Perez said. “I threw a lot of strikes, which was good, obviously. I feel pretty close. I don’t know what [Indians management’s] plans are. I think I’m ready to come back and do my job.
“I’m not 100-percent all the way feeling like midseason form, but I’m feeling as good as I can right now and my arm’s healthy, which is the most important thing.”
Auburn avoided a shutout in the eighth inning, when Jordan Poole scored on an error.
Whitehouse, Perez, Kerry Doane and Rafael Homblert combined to allow just two hits, with Doane earning the win.
The Scrappers improved to 4-5 after taking two of three games from Auburn, a Pickney Division rival in the New York-Penn League.
The game was called after the eighth inning due to thunderstorms.