Mark Buehrle

Mark Buehrle’s Perfect Game!

Written on July 24, 2009 – 3:19 am | by admin | | Tags: mark buehrle, no hitter, perfect game baseball, perfect games, perfect games in mlb history

Yes, it’s a Perfect! Mark Buehrle Throws a Perfect Game.

mark buehrle perfect game pictures

In thursday afternoon, Mark Buehrle, a White Sox pitcher has made history on the South Side of Chicago with tossing a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Mark Buehrle pitched a perfect game Thursday afternoon in the White Sox’ 5-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Chicago, the first perfect game in the major leagues in five years.

Since Randy Johnson back on May 18, 2004, it’s the first perfect game in the majors, and the 18th in Major League Baseball history. And in Mark Buehrle’s career, it’s also the second no-hitter thrown. He no-hit the Texas Rangers back on April 18, 2007.

“I bought everyone watches after the last one. That was an expensive no-hitter,” Buehrle told reporters. “This one will probably be more expensive.”

mark buehrle photos Pitcher: Mark Buehrle, White Sox – Date: July 23, 2009
Pitching Line: Perfect game, six strikeouts, zero walks

Buehrle, who needed only 116 pitches to complete the feat, might want to save the most expensive gift for Dewayne Wise. Coming in as a defensive replacement in center field in the ninth inning, Wise reached over the fence to rob Gabe Kapler of what would have been a sure home run. He bobbled the ball as he absorbed the collision with the wall on the way down from his leap, but managed to hang on.

“I was hoping it was staying in there, give him enough room to catch it. I know the guys were doing everything they could to save the no-hitter, the perfect game, whatever it might be,” Buehrle said.

In the ninth inning, White Sox center fielder DeWayne Wise preserved the perfect game by reaching above the top of the outfield wall to take a home run away from Gabe Kapler for the first out. Buehrle then struck out Michel Hernandez and got Jason Bartlett to ground out to shortstop Alexei Ramirez for the final out.

Watch Video Highlight Here

Wise had entered the game as a defensive replacement in the ninth. Wise called it one of the best plays he had ever made.

“I was with the Braves in ‘04 and I was there when Randy Johnson of the Diamondbacks pitched a perfect game. So I’ve been on both sides of it,” he said. “It was probably the best catch I’ve ever made because of the circumstances.

“It was kind of crazy, man, because when I jumped, the ball hit my glove at the same time I was hitting the wall. So I didn’t realize I had caught it until I fell down and the ball was coming out of my glove, so I reached out and grabbed it.”

Buehrle received a congratulatory phone call from President Barack Obama moments after completing the perfecto. Obama, of course, is a noted White Sox and baseball fan.

“I’m still in shock. Thank you, sir,” Buehrle told Obama over the phone.

The perfect game helped the White Sox move into a de facto tie with the Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL Central (Chicago is behind Detroit by 1/100th of a percentage point), with the two teams set to open a four-game series on Friday in Detroit.

Buehrle is the 26th pitcher in major league history to record multiple no-hitters during his career, and just the second to accomplish the feat multiple times in a White Sox uniform. He is also only the sixth to throw a no-hitter and a perfect game. Only one other White Sox pitcher, Charles Robertson in 1922, has pitched a perfect game.

source: Associated Press

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