Perez powers 51s to victory

Thursday, April 19, 2001 | 9:59 a.m.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Carlos Perez spent Wednesday night treating some of his Las Vegas 51s teammates to dinner at one of this city's top steak restaurants.

Considering the way Perez pitched in the 51s' 6-0 shutout of the Iowa Cubs earlier that afternoon, maybe it should have been his teammates who picked up the tab.

Perez, making his third injury rehab start for Las Vegas after undergoing shoulder surgery last September, pitched the best game of the young season by any 51s starter, allowing just five hits, walking one and striking out six in six innings.

He threw 88 pitches, 65 of which were strikes. He threw a first-pitch strike to 19 of the 24 batters he faced and struck out the Cubs' highly touted outfield prospect Corey Patterson two of the three times he faced him.

Kip Gross and Jim Dougherty came in to blank Iowa over the final three innings for Las Vegas (5-8).

Perez (1-1) got all the offensive support he needed in the second inning when first baseman David Post hit a three-run homer over the leftfield fence off Iowa starter Mike Meyers (0-2).

Las Vegas put the game away with a three-run ninth, batting around in the process.

After the game, the 51s learned that tonight's scheduled starter, right-hander Luke Prokopec, was being recalled by the parent Los Angeles Dodgers and will start on Saturday against the San Diego Padres. Prokopec will start in place of Andy Ashby who was put on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right elbow.