ATLANTA – If this was an audition for a permanent spot in the Braves rotation, Williams Perez nailed it.
Perez gave up one run over five innings and had seven strikeouts in his first major league start and fellow rookie Todd Cunningham drove in the tiebreaking run with a groundout as Atlanta beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 on Wednesday night.
“He was terrific,” said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. “You can’t ask for anything more.”
Perez was a starter for Triple-A Gwinnett to start the season, then joined the Braves bullpen on May 8 and made two appearances. With Eric Stults struggling, Gonzalez gave Perez the start against the Rays, and the right-hander responded.
“One of the best parts of my game was having the changeup and the curveball working,” Perez said through a translator. “That was a big thing for me and why I pitched so well today.”