SAN FRANCISCO -- The power of Matt Cain's right arm paved the path he took Wednesday night. Fate and the Giants' defense -- highlighted by a remarkable diving catch by Gregor Blanco in the seventh inning -- provided dramatic turns on his journey to perfection.
Cain pitched the first perfect game in the Giants' rich, 130-year history, a 10-0 decision over the Houston Astros that equaled a hallowed statistical standard and generated sheer entertainment.
Cain distinguished the 22nd perfect game in Major League history by striking out 14 batters, matching Sandy Koufax's total against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 9, 1965, for the most in a perfect game.
"You get put in any sentence with Sandy Koufax, it's tremendous," Cain said.
Cain rewrote many other paragraphs. He threw the second perfect game in the Majors this year, duplicating Philip Humber's April 21 gem for the Chicago White Sox. Cain needed 125 pitches, the most ever thrown in a perfect game, to complete his effort.
Cain's was the fifth no-hitter this season in the Majors, the 14th in Giants annals and the sixth since the franchise moved to San Francisco in 1958. Jonathan Sanchez authored San Francisco's last no-hitter on July 10, 2009, against San Diego.
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_06_13_houmlb_sfnmlb_1&mode=recap_home&c_id=sf]mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_06_13_houmlb_sfnmlb_1&mode=recap_home&c_id=sf[/url]
22nd perfect game in MLB history. We're just now half way through June, and there has already been a no-hitter from Johan Santana, a combined no-hitter from the Mariners pitching staff, and a perfect game from Matt Cain.
Cain pitched the first perfect game in the Giants' rich, 130-year history, a 10-0 decision over the Houston Astros that equaled a hallowed statistical standard and generated sheer entertainment.
Cain distinguished the 22nd perfect game in Major League history by striking out 14 batters, matching Sandy Koufax's total against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 9, 1965, for the most in a perfect game.
"You get put in any sentence with Sandy Koufax, it's tremendous," Cain said.
Cain rewrote many other paragraphs. He threw the second perfect game in the Majors this year, duplicating Philip Humber's April 21 gem for the Chicago White Sox. Cain needed 125 pitches, the most ever thrown in a perfect game, to complete his effort.
Cain's was the fifth no-hitter this season in the Majors, the 14th in Giants annals and the sixth since the franchise moved to San Francisco in 1958. Jonathan Sanchez authored San Francisco's last no-hitter on July 10, 2009, against San Diego.
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_06_13_houmlb_sfnmlb_1&mode=recap_home&c_id=sf]mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_06_13_houmlb_sfnmlb_1&mode=recap_home&c_id=sf[/url]
22nd perfect game in MLB history. We're just now half way through June, and there has already been a no-hitter from Johan Santana, a combined no-hitter from the Mariners pitching staff, and a perfect game from Matt Cain.
