Mark Buehrle's perfect game
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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 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 at U. S. Cellular Field (now Rate Field) in Chicago, Illinois in front of 28,036 fans. The game occurred from 1:07 PM CT to 3:10 PM CT, lasting 2 hours and 3 minutes, the shortest perfect game since Tom Browning's on September 16, 1988, which lasted 1 hour and 51 minutes.
It was the 18th perfect game and 263rd no-hitter in MLB history, and the second perfect game and 17th no-hitter in White Sox history. The most recent perfect game at the time was on May 18, 2004, when Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitched a perfect game against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. The last time 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. Buehrle did this in the midst of setting a Major League record by retiring 45 consecutive batters over three games.
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. Ramón Castro was the catcher, the first time Buehrle and he had been battery mates. Buehrle did not once shake off Castro throughout the game.
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. 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:
- the second was delivered by Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics on May 9, 2010 (Mother's Day)
- the third was pitched by Edwin Jackson of the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 25, 2010
- and the fourth, which meant the Rays tied the Dodgers as the only MLB franchise to allow three perfect games, being delivered by Félix Hernández on August 15, 2012.