MIAMI _ Early this season, it was almost expected that Luis Perdomo would get hit, and hit hard. The right-hander began the year with no previous major league experience, after all, and his latest advancement was particularly steep.
Fifteen starts in, the current picture is a study in before-and-after, like storm clouds lifting over Biscayne Bay. Perdomo, who was pitching in Single-A a year ago, continues to experience youthful bouts, but his propensity for damage control has increased exponentially. The latest sign of progress arrived as a nimble tightrope act at Marlins Park.
In the Padres' 3-1, series-clinching victory, Perdomo grounded Miami's batters for nine innings, blowing past the personal-best he'd tied only a week earlier. He lurched and swayed on a number of occasions, but just about every time, he regained his balance, upsetting his opponent's in the process.
The Marlins collected a leadoff single in the first, a leadoff single in the third, a leadoff walk in the fifth, a leadoff walk in the sixth, a one-out single in the seventh and a leadoff walk in the eighth. The response each inning deflated the home team and drew applause from the other side.
In recording the first complete game of his career, and the Padres' first this season, Perdomo worked in perfect concert with his defense. The rookie induced six double plays, etching his name as part of a new club record. The Padres' previous mark for double plays turned in a nine-inning game was five, last done in 2014. The major league record is seven, set by the Yankees in 1942 and matched by the Astros in 1969.
"Wow, that's awesome," third baseman Adam Rosales said when told of the new milestone. "It definitely speeds up the pace of the game, for sure, and it gives us the momentum. A guy gets walked or gets a base hit, and then it's, like, all right, you know you've got to kind of bear down, make sure you don't make it a long inning. Then the next pitch, he gets a ground ball right at us. That's what (Perdomo's) sinker does, just turns into double plays. That's fun to play with."
By the middle of the ninth, many of Perdomo's teammates were either sitting on the top bench in the visiting dugout or leaning against the railing. They watched, and then cheered, as Perdomo struck out Dee Gordon, got Martin Prado to ground out and did the same to Christian Yelich. He'd thrown just three pitches to each of those batters.
For the game, he finished at 99, a testament to his burgeoning efficiency. Entering the afternoon, he'd gone seven innings in a game twice, but never deeper.
"Really, really happy," Perdomo, speaking through an interpreter, said after throwing the Padres' first complete game since Tyson Ross went the distance June 20, 2015. "It is really satisfying, especially with all the people that have supported me. Especially (pitching coach Darren Balsley), (coach Eddie Rodriguez), (former Padres closer Fernando Rodney), even though he's not here. ... Now, I just have to keep working."
Second baseman Ryan Schimpf, shortstop Luis Sardinas and Rosales supported Perdomo on two fronts, notching a trio of RBI hits and zipping the ball around the infield.
