Mariners' Hernandez tosses perfect game in win over Rays
Source: Agencies |
August 17, 2012, Friday
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FELIX Hernandez pitched the Seattle Mariners' first perfect game and the 23rd in baseball history, overpowering the Tampa Bay Rays in a brilliant 1-0 victory on Wednesday.
The Mariners' ace and former AL Cy Young Award winner has long talked of his desire to achieve pitching perfection. He finally accomplished it against the Rays, striking out the side twice and finishing with 12 strikeouts.
It was the third perfect game in baseball this season - a first - joining gems by Chicago's Philip Humber against the Mariners in April and San Francisco's Matt Cain against Houston in June, and it was the sixth no-hitter.
"I don't have any words to explain this," Hernandez said to the crowd, speaking on the field after the final out. "I've been working so hard to throw one and today is for you guys."
A perfect game is when none of the 27 batsmen on a team reaches first base, either through a hit, walk or error.
Desmond Jennings pinch hit for Jose Lobaton to open the ninth. Hernandez got ahead 1-2 before Jennings fouled off two straight and Hernandez fanned him on a 92 mph fastball down in the zone. Jeff Keppinger batted for Elliot Johnson and grounded out to shortstop on a 1-2 pitch.
With one out to go, Sean Rodriguez got ahead of Hernandez 2-0. Hernandez came back with two straight breaking balls for strikes and ended perfection with a called third strike.
Hernandez (11-5) threw his arms up to the sky and was mobbed by his teammates at the pitcher's mound. He embraced catcher John Jaso for a few seconds and then shared hugs with the rest of his teammates.
"It was in my mind, the whole game, it was in my mind," Hernandez said.
It was the second no-hitter this season for the Mariners, doubling the franchise's total entering the year, and third total at Safeco Field after the park went more than a dozen years without one. After Humber's perfect game, a six-pack of Seattle pitchers tossed a combined no-hitter against the Dodgers in June. After the six Seattle pitchers, Kevin Millwood, Charlie Furbush, Brandon League, Tom Wilhelmsen, Stephen Pryor and Lucas Luetge.
"He never did struggle. He kept making good pitches the whole way through," Jaso said. "The last at-bat of the game, falling down 2-0, he just kept his confidence. It was great."
The Mariners' ace and former AL Cy Young Award winner has long talked of his desire to achieve pitching perfection. He finally accomplished it against the Rays, striking out the side twice and finishing with 12 strikeouts.
It was the third perfect game in baseball this season - a first - joining gems by Chicago's Philip Humber against the Mariners in April and San Francisco's Matt Cain against Houston in June, and it was the sixth no-hitter.
"I don't have any words to explain this," Hernandez said to the crowd, speaking on the field after the final out. "I've been working so hard to throw one and today is for you guys."
A perfect game is when none of the 27 batsmen on a team reaches first base, either through a hit, walk or error.
Desmond Jennings pinch hit for Jose Lobaton to open the ninth. Hernandez got ahead 1-2 before Jennings fouled off two straight and Hernandez fanned him on a 92 mph fastball down in the zone. Jeff Keppinger batted for Elliot Johnson and grounded out to shortstop on a 1-2 pitch.
With one out to go, Sean Rodriguez got ahead of Hernandez 2-0. Hernandez came back with two straight breaking balls for strikes and ended perfection with a called third strike.
Hernandez (11-5) threw his arms up to the sky and was mobbed by his teammates at the pitcher's mound. He embraced catcher John Jaso for a few seconds and then shared hugs with the rest of his teammates.
"It was in my mind, the whole game, it was in my mind," Hernandez said.
It was the second no-hitter this season for the Mariners, doubling the franchise's total entering the year, and third total at Safeco Field after the park went more than a dozen years without one. After Humber's perfect game, a six-pack of Seattle pitchers tossed a combined no-hitter against the Dodgers in June. After the six Seattle pitchers, Kevin Millwood, Charlie Furbush, Brandon League, Tom Wilhelmsen, Stephen Pryor and Lucas Luetge.
"He never did struggle. He kept making good pitches the whole way through," Jaso said. "The last at-bat of the game, falling down 2-0, he just kept his confidence. It was great."
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