Martín Pérez’s scoreless streak ends as Braves lose to Twins

MINNEAPOLIS — Martín Pérez hadn’t surrendered a run this month entering Monday. His scoreless streak then went the way of the Metrodome before recording a single out in Minneapolis.

The Braves lost to the Twins 4-2 in the series opener, a game delayed 51 minutes due to inclement weather and then began with an opening frame that probably had Braves faithful wishing there’d been a lengthier postponement.

Pérez just didn’t have it early. The first six Twins reached, two via walk and two via extra-base hits. It was a rare unraveling for a player who’s been perhaps his team’s most pleasant surprise.

“They don’t chase a lot,” Pérez said of the Twins’ lineup. “They didn’t chase my changeup. They’re a really good team and I think after the first inning, I threw more four-seamers and two-seamers down and away. ... They played a little better than us and they won today.”

Consider Pérez owned a 1.08 ERA over five starts since the All-Star break, MLB’s second-best mark in that span. He was riding an 18-inning scoreless streak. In a rotation that lacks a clear-cut Game 2 starter behind Chris Sale, he was making a compelling case.

But, like Grant Holmes two days ago, clunkers happen — and they’re often random without any indicators. This was Pérez’s turn to be victimized by baseball’s realities. Yet, like Holmes, it does not override all the good he’s given this season.

To Pérez’s credit, he spared the bullpen by pitching four scoreless innings after his messy first. That was crucial because the Braves are in a stretch of 10 games in 10 days, which includes this four-city road trip.

“Tough first, he didn’t have his typical command,” manager Walt Weiss said. “But then he made some adjustments and got through five, which was nice considering that first inning. ... Martín can pull it together and make some adjustments. The last four innings were good.”

Overall, Pérez was charged with four runs on nine hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked two.

The Braves’ offense didn’t do much with Twins starter Bailey Ober, who surrendered nine runs against them here two years ago. But it still chased him in the fifth inning with designated hitter Ronald Acuña Jr.’s two-run single.

But the team couldn’t take advantage of an oft-criticized-but-recently-remade Twins bullpen. Four Minnesota relievers held the Braves scoreless — permitting just one hit — and that meant the Twins’ first-inning offense was enough to win the game.

Braves reliever Ray Kerr, who’d worked his way back from Tommy John surgery and was added to the roster Sunday, recorded four outs, including pitching into and out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth.

“Believe it or not, it wasn’t stressful,” Kerr said. “I just remembered you have that dog inside of you and you have to let him out. This is the time to do that right now. I just locked it in, took a deep breath and remembered I’d been there before. These are the situations you’re going to be in, playoff situations, etc. So get used to it now.”