5 Major League BaseBall Pitchers who have achieve a "Perfect Game" since 2004
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher (or combination of pitchers) pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher (or pitchers) cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any other reason—in short, "27 up, 27 down". The feat has been achieved 21 times in the history of major league baseball—19 times since the modern era began in 1900, most recently by Phil Humber on Saturday, April 21, 2012.
By definition, a perfect game is both a no-hitter and a shutout. Since the pitcher cannot control whether or not his teammates commit any errors, the pitcher must be backed up by solid fielding to pitch a perfect game. An error that does not allow a batter to get on base, such as a misplayed foul ball, does not spoil a perfect game. Weather-shortened contests in which a team has no baserunners and games in which a team reaches first base only in extra innings do not qualify as official perfect games under the present definition. The first confirmed use of the term "perfect game" was in 1908; the current official definition of the term was formalized in 1991. Although it is possible for multiple pitchers to combine for a perfect game (as has happened nine times at the major league level for a no-hitter), to date, every major league perfect game has been thrown by a single pitcher.
5. Randy Johnson , May 18, 2004, Arizona Diamondbacks 2 at Atlanta Braves, 0
Randall David "Randy" Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams.
The 6-foot-10-inch (2.08 m) Johnson was celebrated for having one of the most dominant fastballs in the game. He regularly approached, and occasionally exceeded, 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) during his prime. He also threw a hard, biting slider. Johnson won the Cy Young Awardfive times, second only to Roger Clemens' seven.
Johnson finished his career first in strikeouts per nine innings pitched among starting pitchers (10.67), second all-time in total strikeouts (4,875; first among left-handed pitchers), third in hit batsmen (188), tenth in fewest hits allowed per nine innings pitched (7.24), 22nd in wins (303), and 57th in shutouts (37). He pitched two no-hitters, the second of which was the 17th perfect game in baseball history.
4. Mark Buehrle (CHW), July 23, 2009, Tampa Bay Rays, 0 at Chicago White Sox, 5
Mark Alan Buehrle ( /ˈbɜrli/; born March 23, 1979) is an American professional baseball pitcher, currently playing for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He began his MLB career with the Chicago White Sox and started the opening game every season from 2002 to 2006 and again from 2008 to 2011.
Buehrle pitched a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers on April 18, 2007, surrendering just one walk to Sammy Sosa who was then picked off at first base. Two seasons later, Buehrle pitched the eighteenth perfect game in baseball history against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 23, 2009.
In White Sox pitching history, Buehrle is fifth all-time in strikeouts, sixth in games started, and eighth in wins and innings pitched.[1] He has pitched over 200 innings for the nine seasons since becoming a starter in 2001.
Dallas Lee Braden (born August 13, 1983) is a left-handed pitcher for the Oakland Athletics. He was drafted out of Texas Tech University in the twenty fourth round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft by the Athletics.
On May 9, 2010, Braden pitched the nineteenth perfect game in baseball history, in Oakland, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-0.
2. Roy Halladay (PHI), May 29, 2010, Philadelphia Phillies, 1 at Florida Marlins, 0
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III (born May 14, 1977), nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. His nickname, coined by the late Toronto Blue Jays announcer Tom Cheek, is a reference to Wild West gunslinger "Doc" Holliday.
He was the Blue Jays' first draft selection in the 1995 Major League Baseball Draft, the 17th pick overall, and played for the team from 1998 through 2009, after which he was traded to Philadelphia. Halladay is known for his ability to pitch deep into games effectively, and he is currently the active major league leader in complete games with 66, including 20 shutouts.
On May 29, 2010, Halladay pitched the 20th perfect game in MLB history, beating the Florida Marlins by a score of 1–0. On October 6, 2010, in his first post-season start, Halladay threw the second no-hitter in MLB postseason history (Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series being the first) against the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the 2010 NLDS. It was his second no-hitter of the year (following the May 29 perfect game), making Halladay the fifth pitcher in major league history (and the first since Nolan Ryan in 1973) to throw multiple no-hitters in the same season. Halladay has won two Cy Young Awards, in 2003 and 2010.
Philip Gregory Humber (born December 21, 1982, in Nacogdoches, Texas) is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Chicago White Sox. He has pitched for the New York Mets (2006–2007), Minnesota Twins (2008–2009), Kansas City Royals (2010), and White Sox (2011–present).
The Mets selected him with the third overall selection in the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft out of Rice University. Humber struggled to establish himself in MLB, as he was traded to the Twins and spent a year with the Royals organization before being claimed on waivers by the White Sox. On April 21, 2012, Humber pitched the 21st perfect game in MLB history, defeating the Seattle Mariners.
Sources: Wikipedia.com
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