Chris Perez showing improvement

CLEVELAND -- It was a long climb back to the eighth inning for Rafael Perez, but that's where the lanky lefty found himself Tuesday night. Perez retired the side in the eighth to earn the hold in a 5-4 win over the Blue Jays.

And though it was but one outing, it served as a sign that manager Manny Acta's confidence in Perez has grown exponentially in recent weeks.

"He's throwing more quality strikes," Acta said. "That was a good test for him, facing two of three lefties and being able to cruise through the eighth inning. That was good for us."

As recently as May 31, Perez had an ERA north of 7. He now has a 4.21 mark with three holds in his last six appearances.



(mlb.com)