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MartĂn PĂ©rez pitched five innings for the Atlanta Braves, allowing only one run against the Cleveland Guardians, helping keep the game competitive despite a poor offensive showing. PĂ©rez expressed confidence in his performance, stating he feels better than he has in years.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 11: MartĂn Perez #33 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the first inning during the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park on April 11, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Saturday nightâs middle game between the Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Guardians certainly ended in disastrous fashion. With that being said, it couldâve gone off the rails much earlier than it did and itâs a credit to starting pitcher MartĂn PĂ©rez that the Braves stayed in the game. Now granted, the lineup had absolutely nothing to offer against Guardians starter Parker Messick but they were at least hypothetically in the game thanks to PĂ©rezâs efforts.
MartĂn PĂ©rez spoke with the media following the game and itâs safe to say that heâs feeling encouraged following his five innings of giving up just one run. PĂ©rez spoke with the media and continued to reiterate that this is as good as heâs felt on the mound for a couple of years now. âSince I started throwing the ball this year, I feel better,â said PĂ©rez. âToday was a good game, I was attacking the strike zone and I wasnât missing too far from the [strike zone]. Every time when I go out there, I feel better. Iâm going to continue to do my job and continue to give the team the chance to win many games.â
When he was asked about the last time that he felt this good, PĂ©rez explained that it began with the tail end of last season during his stint with the White Sox. â[Thereâs no] pain on my arm,â stated PĂ©rez. âI know that I can help the team. Finally, I feel grea and I donât feel anything in my elbow. It was hard for me for the last two years to pitch with no pain. Sometimes [Iâd] wake up for the next day about how Iâm going to feel tomorrow and how Iâm going to feel today. Now, Iâm just enjoying what Iâm doing because I feel great and I feel healthy. Itâs a beautiful feeling to go out there and compete when you know you feel strong and better.â
âI think heâs been really good,â said Walt Weiss when he was asked about PĂ©rezâs performances so far. âOn top of [the two starts, he had] that relief appearance where he came in and saved our âpen. Heâs been nice to have. Heâs a veteran, he knows how to handle himself, heâs good in the clubhouse and and heâs good to have around.â
PĂ©rezâs only real blemish on the night was giving up the homer to JosĂ© RamĂrez in the first inning. That was an inauspicious start to his outing and he dealt with traffic at times but he recovered to have a perfectly fine outing for being the fifth starter in this rotation. He was asked about how he adjusted in the second at-bat to strike out Ramirez and for PĂ©rez, the adjustment was pretty simple. âIâm just trying not to miss my spot for the second time,â explained MartĂn. âHeâs one of the best hitters in baseball and as a pitcher, itâs about keeping the batter off of his timing. During the first inning, I went to the changeup after the fastballâŠand he got me. I made sure that the second at-bat I was going to throw the pitch I wanted so I knew I could get him now.â
So while the game didnât go Atlantaâs way once MartĂn PĂ©rez exited the contest, itâs still encouraging that the Braves are getting value out of his contributions out of the fifth spot of the rotation. That role will certainly change once Spencer Strider gets healthy and later on down the road once the Braves get their full compliment of pitchers back but for now, PĂ©rez is doing his part to make sure that this good start that the rotation is on continues to last for as long as possible. Hopefully weâll see Chris Sale deliver a bounce-back start of his own later on tonight in order to keep the good times rolling.
MartĂn PĂ©rez pitched five innings, giving up just one run, which helped keep the Braves in the game.
Pérez feels encouraged and stated that he hasn't felt this good on the mound in a couple of years.
Parker Messick was the starting pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians in that game.
Pérez's strong performance allowed the Braves to stay competitive in a game where their offense struggled significantly.

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