Buehrle Retires Record 45 Consecutive Batters

It wasn't exactly a perfect game — in fact, Chicago's Mark Buehrle took the loss after surrendering five runs in 6 1/3 innings — but a 37-year-old record was broken nonetheless.

Coming off a 27 up, 27 down performance against the Rays, Buehrle
held the Twins without a baserunner for 5 1/3 innings on Tuesday,
stretching his streak to 45 consecutive batters retired. That broke a
major league record shared by White Sox teammate Bobby Jenks, who retired 41 straight in relief in 2007, and Jim Barr, who accomplished the feat over two starts back in 1972.

Buerhle set the record by inducing a grounder from former teammate Joe Crede to shortstop Alexei Ramirez for the second out of the fifth inning. He then got Brendan Harris to do the same thing, extending his perfection to 14 consecutive innings.

But things started to fall apart for Buehrle in the sixth. With two outs, he allowed a walk to Minnesota's Alexei Casilla to end the streak, followed by a Denard Span single to break up the no-hitter. Joe Mauer then smacked a ground-rule double to plate a run.

Buehrle got out of the inning by means of a Justin Morneau groundout, but the Twins would go on to score four more times in the subsequent frame, chasing him from the game.

The 30-year-old southpaw now stands at 11-4 on the year with a 3.45 ERA.