Miami Marlins: Eury Perez shuts down Pirates, ignites debate on usage going forward

When I first wrote about Eury Perez I had no idea that it would turn out like this. So, I wrote about him again. And again.

At the risk of being branded Perez's personal publicist, here I am again, writing about a 20-year-old that seems to get more confident and better in every start.

Sunday, it was the Pirates turn to get dazzled by the youngster over 6 innings, as Perez gave up 0 runs, 4 hits, struck out 9, and walked just 1, all the while lowering his ERA to a minuscule 1.34 as the Marlins beat the Pittsburgh 2-0.

All this despite not having his best stuff per Perez and manager Skip Schumaker.

Over his 83 pitches, Perez relied heavily on his slider, using it 43% of the time, generating 9 whiffs on 15 swings and another 10 called strikes.

Perez also reached 99.9 MPH on the four-seam fastball that he used 39% of the time, but generated only 4 whiffs and 7 called strikes on the pitch.

In moving to 5-1, Perez was dominating, allowing just one runner to reach second, striking out the side in the 5th and retiring the last 7 he faced in order.

Perez now has 47 Major League innings this season and 78 including his minors stint, totaling 78 which matches the most of the young fireballer's professional career.

With the Marlins in the middle of the National League Wild Card race, there's a debate on how long and often Perez should used as he's obviously become their defacto Ace with Sandy Alcantara's struggles.

On the one hand, the playoffs are what the sport is all about and there are no guarantees no matter your pedigree. Just ask the Dodgers, Astros or Yankees.

On the other hand, you have a 20-year-old that could be the Ace for the next decade and overuse could lead to an injury and a lost decade for the franchise.

Postgame, Schumaker said the Marlins would "talk about it", regarding Perez's usage moving forward.

While I generally err on the side of "you only get so many chances at the playoffs", this is a tough call and the Marlins' brass needs to tread carefully. It's only June 25th. There's more than a half season to go, before potentially the playoffs and perhaps World Series.

With his next inning, Perez will set a new mark for his professional career and there are months to go before October.

The excitement should be mixed with caution because it could turn at any moment with any pitch that Perez fires or he could be fine for the next 10 years.

That's the conundrum the Marlins brain trust finds themselves in. Perez has been so good, you can't not have him out there, but at the same time, you want him out there for the next 10 years.