Marlins rely on Perez, Ramirez to beat Yankees for second game in a row
From 12 runs to only two hits.
One day after winning for the first time in franchise history when surrendering a dozen runs, the Marlins found a different way to beat the Yankees — by shutting down their offense.
Eury Pérez and the bullpen teamed to silence their bats, and Agustín Ramírez bashed a pair of solo homers against his former team as the Marlins won 2-0 Saturday in front of an announced crowd of 34,645 at loanDepot park.
They claimed their sixth consecutive series, matching the franchise record set from June 5 to 27, 1997.
“Every time they show up to the ballpark, there is an expectation now to win,” said Marlins’ manager Clayton McCullough. “The losses sting more, and that’s a good thing. It’s not only believing you can do it but proving to yourself that you can.
“We have to keep our foot down on the gas here as we keep going on, but this certainly is a group that will show up [Sunday] and I expect them to look to sweep.”
“We stay highly confident with what we’re doing — our trust levels are high,” Ramírez said via team interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “But we’ve got to continue playing the game like nothing happened before. We keep playing with the same hunger.”
The Marlins erupted for 13 runs over the final five innings Friday, walking it off on on a dribbler in front of the plate off Ramirez’s bat. Saturday, they needed his two monstrous swings off Yankees starter Cam Schlittler to prevail.
In the first inning, Ramirez whacked the ball 421 feet to left center with a 111.5 mph exit velocity. Three innings later, he launched his 17th long ball of the season 418 feet to center at 107.6 mph for his third multi-homer game.
“Those were great swings, and I’m sure it felt a little extra special for it to happen against his former organization,” McCullough said of Ramírez, who was acquired by the Marlins as part of the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade last summer.
“We’ve seen Gus do some really incredible things throughout this season offensively. We’ve seen his ability to impact and we believe his offensive ceiling is not close yet. We’re going to continue to see a better version of him. … There’s always a threat when Gus is in the box. You feel it.”
After Friday’s game, Ramírez downplayed his heroics against his former team. He said, “the joy is the same as with any other team.” On Saturday, he once again downplayed the significance of performing well against them.
“I’m very happy for this team,” he said of the Marlins. “This team is the team that gave me the opportunity to play in the big leagues.”
Like Ramírez, Pérez delivered another standout performance. He pitched six innings, allowing two hits, with five strikeouts and three walks.
“He was overall terrific,” McCullough said.
“Just preparing myself, trying to do my best out there, not thinking too much that they’re the Yankees — just doing my job,” Pérez said via Dorante Jr.
Pérez escaped a fifth-inning jam after the Yankees put runners on first and second with one out, freezing Ryan McMahon with a 97-mph fastball and then inducing a groundout from Anthony Volpe.
“Every time I make a mistake or a bad pitch, I’ve learned with every game that you have to just step out, take a deep breath, and then go back again,” Pérez said. “That is going to help you maintain the rhythm and command each game.”
Since July 3, Pérez has been dominant, posting a 1.06 ERA over six starts while allowing just four earned runs in 34 innings. He’s given up only 15 hits and eight walks during that stretch, striking out 37.
His 0.68 WHIP and .132 opponent average (15 for 114) underscore how overpowering he’s been. The 22-year-old is the first pitcher in Marlins’ history to allow 15 hits or fewer while recording a sub-1.50 ERA over a six-start span.
Coming off Tommy John surgery, he has established himself once again as one of the majors’ best young pitchers.
“I don’t know if they actually forgot about me, but we’re working really hard to try to make sure they remember me again,” Pérez said. “Every time I go out there, I try to perform to the best of my capabilities. And I’m going to continue doing that.”
Ronny Henriquez, Tyler Phillips, and Calvin Faucher each tossed a scoreless inning in relief to close out the Yankees.
- Outfielder Derek Hill (left middle finger sprain) began a rehab assignment with Triple A Jacksonville.
- Kyle Stowers notched his sixth outfield assist of the season — fifth from left field — gunning down Trent Grisham at home with a 94.1 mph throw in the first inning.
This story was originally published August 2, 2025 at 9:10 PM.