White Sox’ Buehrle Pitches Perfect Game

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Jul 23, 2009

White Sox' Buehrle Pitches Perfect Game It was 27 up and 27 down for the White Sox' Mark Buehrle on Thursday, as the lefty pitched baseball's first perfect game in five years against the Tampa Bay Rays en route to a 5-0 Chicago win.

Buehrle, who tossed a no-hitter on April 18, 2007, got through the Rays' lineup on 116 pitches, striking out six. It was the 16th perfect game of the modern era (that is, post-1900) and first since Randy Johnson accomplished the feat with the Diamondbacks on May 18, 2004.

The game was highlighted by a spectacular catch in the ninth made by Chicago center fielder Dewayne Wise, who had entered that inning as a defensive replacement. With no outs, Gabe Kapler sent a long fly ball out to left-center field that looked like it was going to leave the park. But Wise jumped over the wall to bring it back with his glove, then, after bobbling it briefly, caught it bare-handed to secure the out.

"I was hoping [Kapler's fly ball] was staying in there to give [Wise] room
to catch it," Buehrle told ESPN.com. "I know the guys were doing their best to
save the perfect game."

Buehrle was able to handle the subsequent two batters with ease, striking out Michael Hernandez and inducing a weak grounder from Jason Bartlett to seal the deal.

"Winning the World Series tops everything, but on a personal goal, this tops all," Buehrle told ESPN.com.

The White Sox have one other perfecto in their history, which was accomplished by Charlie Robertson all the way back in 1922. It took over 30 years for someone to again attain perfection after that, when Don Larsen did so in the 1956 World Series.

At 30 years of age, Buehrle is putting together arguably the greatest season of his career. Following the perfect game, his record stands at 11-3 with a 3.28 ERA and 1.10 WHIP.

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