Ex-MLB pitcher Odalis Pérez dies after accident at his home

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Odalis Pérez, a left-hander who threw the primary pitch at Nationals Park and was an All-Star with the Los Angeles Dodgers throughout a 10-year profession within the majors, has died. He was 43.

The native skilled baseball league confirmed his dying Friday. His brother, Cristian Pérez, advised native media the previous pitcher was discovered immobile within the patio of his residence Thursday.

Odalis Pérez’s lawyer, Walin Batista, advised ESPN the pitcher apparently fell off a ladder at his home.

Pérez was 73-82 with a 4.46 ERA with Atlanta, the Dodgers, Kansas Metropolis and Washington.

He went 7-12 for the Nationals in 2008, his last season within the majors. He started that yr because the beginning pitcher on opening day in Washington’s first sport at Nationals Park after shifting from RFK Stadium.

After President George W. Bush made a ceremonial toss, Pérez threw the primary pitch for actual, which Atlanta’s Kelly Johnson fouled off. Johnson struck out and Pérez went on to pitch 5 innings, permitting his solely run on a homer by Chipper Jones. The Nationals beat the Braves 3-2 on Ryan Zimmerman’s game-ending residence run within the ninth.

Pérez broke into the majors in 1998 with Atlanta. He pitched 10 video games in aid within the common season after which, as a 20-year-old rookie, labored 3 times in aid throughout the playoffs — his victory in Sport 2 of the NL Division Sequence in opposition to the Cubs was his first win within the majors.

In January 2002, Pérez was traded with outfielder Brian Jordan to the Dodgers for slugger Gary Sheffield.

Pérez went 15-10 with a 3.00 ERA in his first season with Los Angeles. He pitched within the All-Star Sport that summer season, putting out Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada in his one inning.

Pérez pitched a one-hitter that very same yr, taking an ideal sport into the seventh inning in opposition to the Cubs at Wrigley Subject. That was considered one of his two main league shutouts, each in 2002.

Not a lot of a hitter, he additionally related for his solely massive league homer that yr in a 1-0 win over Arizona.