OT: Matt Cain Pitches Perfect Game

Submitted by a2_electricboogaloo on

Matt Cain of the San Fransico Giants has just pitched the 22nd (cough cough 23rd cough cough) perfect game in major league history.

Per the giants:

@SFGiants June 13th, 2012: Matt Cain becomes the 22nd pitcher in #MLB History to throw a #PerfectGame #SFGiants 10 #Astros 0

Great Job Matt.

As ESPN and Ace joked,

Clearly, Cain...puts on sunglasses...is able

the bee train

June 14th, 2012 at 7:59 AM ^

is expected and understandable as a fan of the team, but in no way did Cain get the zone most pitchers get during a PG attempt. In fact, I thought he was getting squeezed a little by perfect game/no hitter standards. I'm assuming you're talking about the strikeout to Brett Wallace on the inside corner. That was a very tough call, but it did come back to the plate before hitting Posey's glove. Outside of that AB, I can't think of any other examples of a generous zone for Cain in this game. Jonathan Sanchez got a ridiculously large zone to work with in his no hitter for the Giants back in 09 against the Padres. Check out the last pitch of that game for an example of a generous zone. Cain didn't get anything close to that.

WMUgoblue

June 14th, 2012 at 1:02 AM ^

Tied for the most strikeouts ever in a perfect game. This may be a crazy thought, but that might have been the best pitched game ever....

Wave83

June 14th, 2012 at 7:32 AM ^

I heard that McCain had great stuff last night, although it sounds as if the umpire gave him a generous strike zone.  Don Larsen also got a favorable strike zone toward the end of his perfecto in the 1956 World Series.

But a lot of people think the best pitched game was by Harvey Haddix in 1959, when he was perfect for over 12 innings.  Unfortunately, he lost 1-0 because the Pirates couldn't score a single run to support him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Haddix

chitown.victor

June 14th, 2012 at 9:25 AM ^

They are just rebuilding.  Still.  Or is it again?  Whatever. 

Seriously though, several players in that Astros lineup should still be at AA of AAA, but you still have to repect any player who accomplishes something that has only happened 22 (or 23) times in the history of baseball.  Cain comes off as a pretty humble guy, and he has been very solid for several years now (only 2 games over .500, but a 3.33 career ERA over 216 starts).  Good for him, it's just never easy to watch it happen to your favorite team.

Blue eNVy

June 14th, 2012 at 12:22 PM ^

It's a damn shame he's only 2 games above .500.  I should double check, but during the begginning of his career there was about a two year period where he lost 12 or so games after giving up < 2 runs.  He had his ERA around the high 2's low 3's and had a WHIP < 1 during most of that period too.  The Giants just couldn't give him any run support.  All in all, my family and I've been a Giant's fans for life, and it was amazing to see them win the Series in '10 and now to see Big Matty Cain throw perfection...it's tremendous.

I hope he's done flying under the radar because he's been consistently good going on about five years now.

SamirCM

June 14th, 2012 at 1:59 PM ^

What are the unwritten rules about a perfect game?

 

I remember something a few years ago about how a team was pissed because the other team broke up a no-hitter with a bunt in the 9th inning. 

From the highlights I saw, it did look like he was getting a huge strike zone, but you could see that the other team didn't protest...likely also cause they were down 10-0, but does that have to do with courtesy?

 

Perfect games are one of the rare occassions where you can see the entire crowd, fans of both teams, cheering for him to do it.