WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Eury Pérez pitched seven perfect innings before getting lifted by Miami manager Clayton McCullough, and the Marlins nearly squandered an eight-run lead Sunday in a 9-8 victory over the Athletics.
Heriberto Hernández homered twice for the surprising Marlins (49-42), who have won nine of 12 overall after completing a three-game sweep. Leo Jiménez and All-Star shortstop Otto Lopez also went deep.
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Miami Marlins pitcher Eury Pérez throws to an Athletics batter during the sixth inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 5, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)
Miami Marlins pitcher Lake Bachar walks off the mound after being pulled during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Sunday, July 5, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)
Miami Marlins' Otto Lopez hits a solo home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics Sunday, July 5, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)
Miami Marlins pitcher Eury Pérez throws to an Athletics batter during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 5, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)
Miami Marlins pitcher Eury Pérez throws to an Athletics batter during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 5, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)
Lopez, who leads the majors with a .346 batting average, drove in three runs and scored twice. He and Hernández had back-to-back homers in the sixth, and each finished with three of Miami's 16 hits.
Lopez has 39 multihit games, most before the All-Star break since Houston’s Jose Altuve had 40 in 2014.
Pérez (5-6) struck out eight and retired all 21 batters he faced. It was the fourth time this year he didn’t walk anyone.
The 6-foot-8 right-hander, who missed the 2024 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, threw 92 pitches — his most in three starts since returning from the injured list June 24. He had been sidelined since late May because of a bizarre leg injury sustained while he was stretching in the dugout.
The crowd full of A's fans booed when McCullough replaced Pérez with reliever Lake Bachar to begin the eighth.
Moments later, Miami's bid for its first perfect game quickly unraveled.
Bachar issued a leadoff walk to Lawrence Butler, the first baserunner for the A’s. Joshua Kuroda-Grauer then dunked a pop-fly single into shallow right field for their first hit.
Carlos Cortes followed with an RBI double, Max Muncy walked and Jonah Heim launched a grand slam that shaved Miami’s lead to 8-5.
Brian Serven singled to chase Bachar, who didn’t retire any of the six batters he faced.
Michael Petersen got through the eighth without any more damage, and Miami tacked on an insurance run in the ninth. That proved critical when Pete Fairbanks gave up three runs, two earned, in the bottom half before finally closing it out.
Heim had a two-run single to finish with six RBIs.
Gage Jump (3-3) allowed a career-high six runs in three innings for the Athletics, who have lost seven of eight.
Hernández hit solo homers in the first and sixth. Jiménez added a two-run drive in the third — his first home run since June 12, 2025.
Marlins: Open their next series Tuesday in Seattle.
Athletics: Visit the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night.
This story has been corrected to remove a reference to Pérez setting his season high for strikeouts.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Miami Marlins pitcher Eury Pérez throws to an Athletics batter during the sixth inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 5, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)
Miami Marlins pitcher Lake Bachar walks off the mound after being pulled during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Sunday, July 5, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)
Miami Marlins' Otto Lopez hits a solo home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics Sunday, July 5, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)
Miami Marlins pitcher Eury Pérez throws to an Athletics batter during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 5, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)
Miami Marlins pitcher Eury Pérez throws to an Athletics batter during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 5, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)
