Z's Heaney carries perfecto into seventh

Andrew Heaney knows he didn't perform well in his four-game stint in the Majors and he knows there were plenty of others who agree.

But he also recognizes that people progress at different speeds and that what works for one person may not necessarily work for everyone else. Heaney isn't a "one size fits all" kind of guy, so he understands that Tuesday's strong outing is only the start of his return to Miami.

The 23-year-old left-hander carried a perfect game into the seventh inning but ended up walking in the game's only run as Triple-A New Orleans fell at Iowa, 1-0.

"I'm not the first person to be humbled by the big leagues," the Marlins' top prospect said. "It's just about having the confidence to getting myself back to square one and really just resetting myself. Mentally, I was fine, but it was tough and you just have to strap it on every day.

"They talked to me about various things to get back on track and get comfortable with my delivery and everything. As bad as I knew I was in the big leagues, and as bad as everybody said I was, people go about it in different ways. Some people cruise their entire careers and some people struggle early."

Selected ninth overall in the 2012 Draft out of Oklahoma State, Heaney set down the first 18 batters Tuesday before Matt Szczur singled to right field on the eighth pitch of his at-bat leading off the seventh. Brett Jackson followed with a bunt single and Cubs No. 2 prospect Kris Bryant drew a one-out walk to load the bases.

Heaney also walked Chris Valaika on eight pitches to force home a run but induced Rafael Lopez to hit into an inning-ending double play.

"It was night and day compared to what I've been like the last three or four outings," Heaney said. "I don't know if I've ever taken [a perfect game] this late. I don't know if I've ever done this before, definitely not in pro ball or college, maybe in high school.

"My fastball command was a little bit better tonight and I was able to move the ball in and out. I felt normal, comfortable. I was getting ahead and throwing my slider late. When I got into trouble early in the count I could throw my changeup away."

Heaney (3-2) threw 61 of 86 pitches for strikes in lowering his ERA to 3.68. He was at 54 pitches through six innings, then needed 32 to get out of the seventh.

"I was tired, but I don't think that was the reason," MLB.com's No. 24 overall prospect said, referring to the first hit he allowed. "I got to 2-2 on Sczcur and I'd been throwing him fastballs away all night and I went fastball away, and he knew what I was doing.

"Then Jackson hit one between me and [catcher Rob] Brantly, and if you look at the stats, with two singles to lead off the inning they will score 95 percent of the time. I'm not going to lie, I gave up the first hit and I was obviously thinking about it. You think it won't mentally affect you, then you give up a hit when a guy is sacrificing and you think maybe you're destined to give up a run."

Still, the outing was a nice bounce-back for Heaney, who surrendered three runs on four hits over 2 2/3 innings Thursday in Omaha and five runs -- four earned -- on six hits in four frames on July 12 against Memphis.

Across two Minor League levels this year, the former Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year is 7-4 with a 3.02 ERA and 95 strikeouts over 90 1/3 innings. In four starts with the Marlins, he's 0-3 with a 6.53 ERA.

Iowa's Dallas Beeler (7-4) won his fourth straight decision after limiting the Zephyrs to six hits and a walk while striking out seven over seven innings. Blake Parker pitched a perfect ninth for his Pacific Coast League-leading 21st save.