September callup Perez shows off wheels

ATLANTA — Before giving way to Yefri Perez on the bases in the eighth inning on Tuesday night, Justin Bour offered first baseman Freddie Freeman some unsolicited advice: Don’t play behind the base.

It was nothing Freeman didn’t already know, but Perez indeed turned on the burners and stole second. With two outs, he raced home on a wild pitch that provided a big boost in the Marlins’ 7-5 victory over the Braves at Turner Field.

“The Yefri run was big to give us a little bit of a cushion,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.

With their National League Wild Card chances dwindling, the Marlins are looking for any jolt they can get. Perez, a September callup from Double-A Jacksonville, is on the roster for one reason only — to pinch-run. He brings excitement and energy, and he helped manufacture a crucial run.

Actually, Perez can’t do anything else besides run because he had surgery on his left thumb a few months ago and just now is doing fielding and hitting drills. But his legs are fresh, and they came in handy on Tuesday.

Bour …

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