Mark Buehrle pitched the 18th perfect game in Major League Baseball history in Chicago this afternoon, as the White Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-0.Buehrle threw 116 pitches in getting his second career no-hitter. He no-hit the Texas Rangers in 2007 (pictured), and also faced the minimum of 27 batters. He walked Sammy Sosa early in that game, but picked him off. No one else reached in that game. (I'm sure if any other pitcher has ever thrown two hitters and faced just the minimum in both games.)
The game was saved in the ninth inning by DeWayne Wise, who went into the game in the ninth as a defensive replacement, and he reached over the wall in left center to take a home run away from Gabe Kapler. It would have broken up the perfect game, no-hitter and shutout all in one fell swoop.
It was also just the second time the Tampa Bay Rays have ever been no-hit. The other? Derek Lowe turned the trick at Fenway Park against them on April 27, 2002, a game that Yours Truly had the pleasure of being in attendance for.
Congratulations to Mark Buehrle on his perfect performance. I believe he owes DeWayne Wise at least a dinner, if not a whole lot more.
Buehrle will never light up a radar gun, he just knows how to pitch. Take a bit off here, a bit on there. It is a lesson to all the young kids about location and keeping hitters off balance.
ReplyDeleteOh and Mark got a call from The First Pale House Fan. The Perfecto then The President? How COOL!!
Buehrle's one of the classier guys in the game. Good for him...
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