![]() Chicago White Sox teammates celebrating following the final out of Mark Buehrle's perfect game. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date | July 23, 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Venue | U. S. Cellular Field | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
City | Chicago, Illinois | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Managers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Umpires | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Attendance | 28,036 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Television | Comcast SportsNet Chicago | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TV announcers | Ken Harrelson (play-by-play) Steve Stone (color commentary) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Radio | WSCR | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Radio announcers | Ed Farmer (play-by-play) Darrin Jackson (color commentary) |
On July 23, 2009, Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox pitched a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The game took place at US Cellular Field in Chicago in front of 28,036 fans, and occurred from 1:07 PM CT to 3:10 PM CT.
It was the 18th perfect game and 263rd no-hitter in MLB history, second perfect game and 17th no-hitter in White Sox history. The previous perfect game in MLB history was on May 18, 2004 when Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitched a perfect game against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. The previous occasion a White Sox pitcher threw a perfect game was on April 30, 1922 when Charlie Robertson pitched a perfecto against the Detroit Tigers at Navin Field (later known as Tiger Stadium); that was the fifth perfect game in MLB history.
Buehrle also logged his second career no-hitter; the first was against the Texas Rangers on April 18, 2007. He became the first pitcher to throw multiple no-hitters since Johnson. [1] Buehrle did this in the midst of setting a Major League record by retiring 45 consecutive batters over three games. [2]
The umpire, Eric Cooper, who stood behind the plate for this perfect game was the same home plate umpire when Buehrle threw his first career no-hitter. [1] Ramón Castro was the catcher.
At the time, the Rays were tied for the second-highest on-base percentage (.343) of any team, so they were one of the least likely to allow a perfect game. [3] Buehrle’s perfect game was to become the first of three perfect games and the first of four no-hitters allowed by the Rays in less than three years:
Mark Buehrle was a 38th round pick and 1139th overall in 1998 draft pick by the White Sox. [6] Buehrle made his major league debut on July 16, 2000, pitching one inning of relief while allowing a run to Milwaukee Brewers. Then he made his first starting appearance on July 19, pitching seven innings while allowing six hits and two runs to Minnesota Twins. [7]
On April 18, 2007 against the Texas Rangers at U.S. Cellular Field, Mark Buehrle threw his first career no-hitter. In that game, he threw 106 pitches and faced 27 batters while allowing just one walk. After allowing a walk to Sammy Sosa in the fifth inning and one out after a 3–1 pitch, and he was promptly picked off from first base while facing the next batter.[ citation needed ]
This was the 16th no-hitter in White Sox history, the first one since August 11, 1991 when Wilson Álvarez threw one at Memorial Stadium against the Baltimore Orioles and first at home since September 10, 1967 when Joel Horlen threw one against the Detroit Tigers. [8]
Mark Buehrle was the 2009 Opening Day starter, which he took the victory as the Sox beat the Royals 4–2. Buehrle won five straight decisions to start the 2009 season. His record stood at 9–3 before the All-Star break, and he was voted to the All-Star Game in Busch Stadium in St. Louis near his hometown, where he pitched a perfect third.[ citation needed ] On June 14, he hit the first and only home run of his career in a road game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. After completing his perfect game, Buehrle had an 11–3 pitching record with a 3.28 ERA. Buehrle struggled in the games following the perfect game and he did not achieve another win until September 7 against the Red Sox. [9] On September 30 in the second game of the doubleheader, Buehrle pitched his final game of the season at Cleveland and he took the victory when the Sox shutout Cleveland 1–0. [10] After his perfecto till the end of his 2009 campaign, he posted a 2–7 record with a 4.78 ERA and he finished the season 13–10 with a 3.84 ERA. [11] He became the only active player to pitch for least two hundred innings for nine consecutive seasons after his debut in 2000. [10]
Buehrle was named the 2010 Opening Day starter for a franchise-record eighth time. [12] In that game, he pitched seven innings and allowed no earned runs. Incredibly, in the fifth inning, he made a spectacular play facing Lou Marson of the Cleveland Indians. Marson hit a ball which bounced off Buehrle’s foot, and he managed to pick it up with his glove and immediately throw it backwards between his legs without looking back and 1st baseman Paul Konerko caught the ball with his bare hand for the second out of the inning. [13] This is the #1 play of the season as no other plays beat Buehrle for the remaining six months of the 2010 regular season. [14] In the show Baseball Tonight , the "Buehrle-Meter" is used to estimate the performance of the #1 Web Gems from 1–10 where 10 is just as spectacular as Mark Buehrle's spectacular play on April 5, 2010.
In the bottom of the second inning with two outs and a 3–1 pitch, Josh Fields hit a grand slam off of Scott Kazmir, giving the White Sox a 4–0 lead. [1] In the bottom of the fifth inning, Scott Podsednik hit a lead-off double. The next batter, Alexei Ramírez, scored Podsednik from second with a double of his own, making it a 5–0 White Sox lead.
Two of the Rays batters hit a foul ball very close to the fair territory down the left field line. Five of the Rays hitters had full (3–2) counts.
In the top of the ninth inning, the Rays’ leadoff hitter, Gabe Kapler, hit a deep fly ball to left field-center field, where DeWayne Wise made a spectacular catch, taking a home run away from Kapler and saving the perfect game for Buehrle. Wise was a defensive replacement prior to the ninth inning. [1] The next batter, Michel Hernández, struck out swinging on a changeup with a full (3–2) count. The final batter, Jason Bartlett, hit a ground ball to shortstop Alexei Ramírez, who threw it to first baseman Josh Fields (Paul Konerko was the designated hitter for the day) to finish off the history-making moment at 3:10 PM CT.
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Tampa Bay Rays (52–44) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Chicago White Sox (50–45) | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 5 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
WP: Mark Buehrle (11–3) LP: Scott Kazmir (4–6) Home runs: TB: None CWS: Josh Fields (7) |
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BATTING
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Score | Out | RoB | Pit(cnt) | Batter | Pitcher | Play description |
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1st inning for Rays | ||||||
0–0 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 1,(0–0) | CF B.J. Upton | Mark Buehrle | Groundout: 2B-1B |
0–0 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 5,(1–2) | LF Carl Crawford | Mark Buehrle | Groundout: P-1B |
0–0 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 4,(1–2) | 3B Evan Longoria | Mark Buehrle | Strikeout Swinging |
1st inning for White Sox | ||||||
0–0 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 4,(1–2) | CF Scott Podsednik | Scott Kazmir | Strikeout Looking |
0–0 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 1,(0–0) | SS Alexei Ramírez | Scott Kazmir | Flyout: LF (Short LF-CF) |
0–0 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 5,(2–2) | RF Jermaine Dye | Scott Kazmir | Flyout: LF (Deep LF Line) |
2nd inning for Rays | ||||||
0–0 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 7,(3–2) | 1B Carlos Peña | Mark Buehrle | Foulout: 1B (1B Foul) |
0–0 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 6,(2–2) | 2B Ben Zobrist | Mark Buehrle | Strikeout Swinging |
0–0 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 5,(2–2) | DH Pat Burrell | Mark Buehrle | Flyout: RF (Deep CF-RF) |
2nd inning for White Sox | ||||||
0–0 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 4,(1–2) | DH Paul Konerko | Scott Kazmir | Single to RF (Line Drive to Short RF) |
0–0 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 5,(3–1) | LF Carlos Quentin | Scott Kazmir | Walk; Konerko to 2B |
0–0 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 6,(3–2) | 3B Gordon Beckham | Scott Kazmir | Strikeout Swinging |
0–0 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 8,(3–2) | 2B Jayson Nix | Scott Kazmir | Strikeout Swinging |
0–0 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 3,(0–2) | C Ramón Castro | Scott Kazmir | Single to LF (Line Drive); Konerko to 3B; Quentin to 2B |
0–0 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 5,(3–1) | 1B Josh Fields | Scott Kazmir | Home Run (Flyball to Deep LF); Konerko Scores; Quentin Scores; Castro Scores |
4–0 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 3,(0–2) | CF Scott Podsednik | Scott Kazmir | Groundout: SS-1B (Weak SS) |
3rd inning for Rays | ||||||
0–4 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 7,(2–2) | RF Gabe Kapler | Mark Buehrle | Flyout: LF (LF-CF) |
0–4 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 3,(0–2) | C Michel Hernández | Mark Buehrle | Groundout: SS-1B (Weak SS-2B) |
0–4 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 1,(0–0) | SS Jason Bartlett | Mark Buehrle | Flyout: LF (LF-CF) |
3rd inning for White Sox | ||||||
4–0 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 8,(3–2) | SS Alexei Ramírez | Scott Kazmir | Walk |
4–0 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 2,(0–1) | RF Jermaine Dye | Scott Kazmir | Flyout: RF (Deep 2B-1B) |
4–0 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 2,(0–1) | DH Paul Konerko | Scott Kazmir | Flyout: CF (Deep CF-RF) |
4–0 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 1,(0–0) | LF Carlos Quentin | Scott Kazmir | Flyout: CF (Deep CF) |
4th inning for Rays | ||||||
0–4 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 6,(3–2) | CF B.J. Upton | Mark Buehrle | Strikeout Swinging |
0–4 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 3,(1–1) | LF Carl Crawford | Mark Buehrle | Flyout: LF |
0–4 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 2,(0–1) | 3B Evan Longoria | Mark Buehrle | Lineout: SS (Weak SS) |
4th inning for White Sox | ||||||
4–0 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 2,(0–1) | 3B Gordon Beckham | Scott Kazmir | Flyout: LF (LF-CF) |
4–0 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 4,(1–2) | 2B Jayson Nix | Scott Kazmir | Flyout: RF (Short CF-RF) |
4–0 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 6,(3–2) | C Ramón Castro | Scott Kazmir | Walk |
4–0 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 3,(1–1) | 1B Josh Fields | Scott Kazmir | Flyout: CF (Deep CF) |
5th inning for Rays | ||||||
0–4 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 4,(2–1) | 1B Carlos Peña | Mark Buehrle | Groundout: 1B-P (2B-1B) |
0–4 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 1,(0–0) | 2B Ben Zobrist | Mark Buehrle | Groundout: SS-1B (Weak SS) |
0–4 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 5,(2–2) | DH Pat Burrell | Mark Buehrle | Strikeout Swinging |
5th inning for White Sox | ||||||
4–0 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 1,(0–0) | CF Scott Podsednik | Scott Kazmir | Double to RF (Ground Ball) |
4–0 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 2,(0–1) | SS Alexei Ramírez | Scott Kazmir | Double to RF (Ground Ball); Podsednik Scores |
5–0 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 5,(1–2) | RF Jermaine Dye | Scott Kazmir | Strikeout Swinging |
5–0 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 2,(0–1) | DH Paul Konerko | Scott Kazmir | Flyout: LF (Deep LF-CF) |
5–0 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 2,(0–1) | LF Carlos Quentin | Scott Kazmir | Groundout: 2B-1B |
6th inning for Rays | ||||||
0–5 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 3,(2–0) | RF Gabe Kapler | Mark Buehrle | Groundout: 3B-1B (Weak 3B) |
0–5 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 4,(0–2) | C Michel Hernández | Mark Buehrle | Groundout: 3B-1B (Weak SS) |
0–5 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 7,(3–2) | SS Jason Bartlett | Mark Buehrle | Groundout: SS-1B (Weak SS) |
6th inning for White Sox | ||||||
5–0 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 2,(1–0) | 3B Gordon Beckham | Scott Kazmir | Popout: 1B (P's Left) |
5–0 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 2,(0–1) | 2B Jayson Nix | Scott Kazmir | Hit By Pitch |
5–0 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 6,(2–2) | C Ramón Castro | Scott Kazmir | Strikeout Looking |
5–0 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 4,(1–2) | 1B Josh Fields | Scott Kazmir | Flyout: LF (LF-CF) |
7th inning for Rays | ||||||
0–5 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 4,(2–1) | CF B.J. Upton | Mark Buehrle | Groundout: SS-1B (Weak SS) |
0–5 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 4,(2–1) | LF Carl Crawford | Mark Buehrle | Groundout: P-1B (P's Left) |
0–5 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 1,(0–0) | 3B Evan Longoria | Mark Buehrle | Flyout: RF (Deep RF) |
7th inning for White Sox | ||||||
5–0 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 6,(3–2) | CF Scott Podsednik | Lance Cormier | Groundout: P-1B (Weak 2B) |
5–0 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 2,(0–1) | SS Alexei Ramírez | Lance Cormier | Single to LF (Line Drive to LF-CF) |
5–0 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 6,(3–2) | RF Jermaine Dye | Lance Cormier | Groundout: 3B-1B (Weak 3B); Ramírez to 2B |
5–0 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 6,(3–2) | DH Paul Konerko | Lance Cormier | Groundout: 3B-1B (Weak 3B) |
8th inning for Rays | ||||||
0–5 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 3,(0–2) | 1B Carlos Peña | Mark Buehrle | Strikeout Looking |
0–5 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 7,(3–2) | 2B Ben Zobrist | Mark Buehrle | Foulout: 3B (3B Foul) |
0–5 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 7,(2–2) | DH Pat Burrell | Mark Buehrle | Lineout: 3B (Weak 3B) |
8th inning for White Sox | ||||||
5–0 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 2,(1–0) | LF Carlos Quentin | Dale Thayer | Flyout: CF (Deep CF) |
5–0 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 3,(0–2) | 3B Gordon Beckham | Dale Thayer | Flyout: LF (Deep LF) |
5–0 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 5,(2–2) | 2B Jayson Nix | Dale Thayer | Strikeout Looking |
9th inning for Rays | ||||||
0–5 | 0 | ◊◊◊ | 6,(2–2) | RF Gabe Kapler | Mark Buehrle | Flyout: CF (Deep LF-CF) |
0–5 | 1 | ◊◊◊ | 6,(3–2) | C Michel Hernández | Mark Buehrle | Strikeout Swinging |
0–5 | 2 | ◊◊◊ | 4,(2–1) | SS Jason Bartlett | Mark Buehrle | Groundout: SS-1B (Weak SS) |
As Buehrle exited the field after the eighth inning, White Sox broadcaster Ken Harrelson, calling the game on Comcast SportsNet Chicago, exclaimed "Call your sons! Call your daughters! Call your friends! Call your neighbors! Mark Buehrle has a perfect game going into the ninth!"
When DeWayne Wise made the catch, Harrelson called out: "That ball hit deep into left center field. Wise back, back. Makes the catch! DeWayne Wise makes the catch! What a play by Wise! Mercy!" Upon watching the replay of Wise's catch, Harrelson declared it was "under the circumstances, one of the greatest catches I have ever seen in 50 years in this game."
As the final ground ball of the game rolled towards White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramírez, Harrelson called out: "Alexei?!" As Ramirez completed the throw to first baseman Josh Fields, Harrelson shouted, "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! History!" [17]
Though many did not like Harrelson’s verbosity and obvious hometown boosterism at the concluding moment of the game, [18] others felt the outburst of emotion captured exactly what they were feeling as the perfect game was sealed. [19]
With the final out, the White Sox players ran onto the field, hugging each other. President Barack Obama, an ardent White Sox supporter, called Buehrle to congratulate him on his perfect game. [20] Then his wife Jamie and her baby daughter Brooklyn came to the U.S. Cellular Field from their home in suburban Chicago to congratulate Mark. [21] Buehrle's reaction was putting his glove on his head in shock before receiving hugs from his teammates.
On July 29, 2009, Mark threw 5+2⁄3 perfect innings. By retiring former teammate Joe Crede, Buehrle set the new record for consecutive batters retired, beating Jim Barr (who had retired 41 consecutive batters over the course of two complete-game wins in 1971, from the third inning of one to the seventh inning of the next) and teammate Bobby Jenks (who had tied Barr’s mark over 14 relief appearances in 2007). Buehrle would then go on to retire the next three batters, before walking Minnesota Twin Alexi Casilla with two outs in the sixth inning, thus foiling Buehrle’s chance of becoming the first pitcher to ever throw a second career perfect game – let alone consecutive perfect games. Denard Span followed Casilla with a single, thus foiling Buehrle’s chance of becoming the second pitcher to throw consecutive no-hitters (the first having been Johnny Vander Meer for the 1938 Reds); in fact, Buehrle allowed 5 runs in 6+1⁄3 innings and took the loss on July 29. [22] Combined with the last out of one appearance, his perfect game, and the 5 2/3 innings worth of perfection, Mark set the new record of 45 consecutive batters retired. [2] This mark was broken by Yusmeiro Petit with 46 over eight appearances in 2014. [23]
On July 29, 2009 Illinois Governor Pat Quinn declared July 30 "Mark Buehrle Day". On August 4 before the game against the Los Angeles Angels, the White Sox held a special ceremony and provided "perfect game" and "MLB Record-Setting" giveaways for fans attending the Sox-Angels series. This series against the Angels was called "The Buehrle Appreciation Series". [24]
The left-center field wall where Wise made his ninth-inning home run-robbing catch is marked with the text, "The Catch".
In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine complete innings recorded no hits. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is thereby said to have "thrown a no-hitter". In most cases, no-hitters are recorded by a single pitcher who throws a complete game; one thrown by two or more pitchers is a combined no-hitter.
Guaranteed Rate Field, formerly Comiskey Park and U.S. Cellular Field, is a baseball stadium located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is the ballpark of Major League Baseball’s Chicago White Sox, one of the city's two MLB teams, and is owned by the state of Illinois through the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. Completed at a cost of US$137 million, the park opened as Comiskey Park on April 18, 1991, taking its name from the former ballpark at which the White Sox had played since 1910.
Mark Alan Buehrle is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Chicago White Sox, playing twelve seasons for the team and winning the World Series with them in 2005. Buehrle also pitched for the Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays.
Scott Edward Kazmir is an American former professional baseball pitcher who participated in 15 Major League Baseball (MLB) seasons between 2004 and 2021, most notably with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Kenneth Smith Harrelson, nicknamed "the Hawk" due to his distinctive profile, is an American former professional baseball player and television announcer. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1963 to 1971 as a first baseman and outfielder, and he subsequently spent 33 years as a play-by-play broadcast announcer for the Chicago White Sox. In December 2019, Harrelson was named the 2020 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually to one broadcaster for "major contributions to baseball".
James Leland Barr is an American former professional baseball right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for the San Francisco Giants and California Angels (1979–1980).
James Anthony Shields, nicknamed "Big Game James", is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2006 through 2012, the Kansas City Royals in 2013 and 2014, the San Diego Padres in 2015 and 2016, and the Chicago White Sox from 2016 to 2018. He was an All Star in 2011.
Larry DeWayne Wise is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He graduated from Chapin High School in 1997 and was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the fifth round of the 1997 Major League Baseball draft. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, Florida Marlins, and New York Yankees. He is best known for robbing Gabe Kapler of a home run to preserve Mark Buehrle's perfect game in 2009.
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team based on the South Side of Chicago. They are one of eight charter members of the American League, having played in Chicago since the inaugural 1901 season. They have won six American League pennants and three World Series titles, most recently in 2005.
The 2008 American League Division Series (ALDS), the first round of the 2008 American League playoffs, consisted of two best-of-five series to determine the two participants in the 2008 American League Championship Series. They were:
The 2009 Chicago White Sox season was the organization's 110th season in Chicago and 109th in the American League. The Sox entered the 2009 season as the defending American League Central champions, attempting to repeat against the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins. The White Sox finished the season 79–83 with third place in the American League Central, 7+1⁄2 games behind the AL Central champion Minnesota Twins, were officially eliminated from postseason contention for the first time since 2007, and failed to make the playoffs until the 2020 season.
The Tampa Bay Rays' 2009 season was their 12th season of baseball on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The team attempted to defend their American League Championship they won in the previous season. Although they missed the playoffs, they still finished with a winning record (84–78) – only the second in franchise history.
The 2010 Chicago White Sox season was the organization's 111th season in Chicago and 110th in the American League. The Sox opened the season against the Cleveland Indians at home on April 5 and closed the season also against the Indians at home on October 3. They finished the season with an 88–74 record, in second place in the American League Central, six games behind the division champions Minnesota Twins.
On May 9, 2010, Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics threw a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum. It was the 19th perfect game in Major League Baseball history. Braden threw 109 pitches, struck out 6 of the 27 batters he faced, and had a game score of 93.
The 2012 Chicago White Sox season was the club's 113th season in Chicago and 112th in the American League. On October 6, 2011, Robin Ventura was designated to be the new manager.
Philip Humber of the Chicago White Sox pitched a perfect game against the Seattle Mariners by retiring all 27 batters he faced on April 21, 2012, as the White Sox defeated the Mariners 4–0. It was the 21st perfect game in Major League Baseball (MLB) history and the third by a member of the White Sox, and remains the earliest calendar date for a perfect game in MLB history. It was Humber's first career complete game, although he had come close to achieving no-hitters on several occasions at several levels of organized baseball. The game was played in Seattle and broadcast regionally by Fox Sports in the two teams' metropolitan areas.
On August 15, 2012, Seattle Mariners pitcher Félix Hernández pitched the 23rd perfect game in Major League Baseball (MLB) history and the first in Mariners' franchise history. Pitching to catcher John Jaso against the Tampa Bay Rays at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington, Hernández retired all 27 batters that he faced and tallied 12 strikeouts in a 1–0 victory.