June 3, 2022, Jameson Taillon had baseball fans holding their breath. The New York Yankees pitcher had faced 21 hitters from the Los Angeles Angels. Was the world witnessing their first perfect game since 2012? Alas, for poor Taillon, Jared Walsh batted that possibility away in the eighth inning. But what is a perfect game, and how is that different from a no-hitter?
A perfect game in baseball means a pitcher prevented a runner from reaching a single base by hit, error, or base-on-balls. In contrast, a no-hitter means the opposing team never managed to hit a single ball the pitcher threw, but they still had runners reach base.
A perfect game demands more from a baseball team than brilliant pitching. It demands excellence from other players, too, primarily the catcher. Because in baseball, there are ways to reach base that doesn’t involve a hit. Nor does a no-hitter guarantee a shutout or even a win. That’s right; a pitcher can throw a no-hitter and still be on the losing team. It can and has happened.
What Is A Perfect Game In Baseball?
A perfect game in baseball requires a team to play nine innings without the opposing team hitting the ball or reaching a base. The winning team can accomplish this with one pitcher or more, but there must not be any:
- Hits
- Walks
- Hitting a batter
- Fielding errors
- Player interference
- Uncaught third strike
Thus, while a perfect game is mostly due to the pitcher (or pitchers), the rest of the team must be alert to ensure a runner doesn’t reach base by other means.
A perfect game will also be considered a:
- No-hitter
- Shutout
- Win
Can A Perfect Game Last Longer Than Nine Innings?
Perfect games are rare. So while it is possible that a perfect game could go into extra innings if both teams are tied, it has yet to happen. It has almost been done a few times, with pitchers throwing nine perfect innings only for something to go wrong once the game progressed to extra innings. Harsh.
How Many MLB Perfect Games Have There Been?
There have been 23 perfect games as of July 2022 in the MLB. The first occurred in 1908: Worcester Ruby Legs vs. Cleveland Blues. Lee Richmond was the Ruby Legs picture who accomplished the rare feat. The most recent perfect game was the Mariners vs. Rays in 2012. This time it was Felix Hernandez who pitched the perfect game for the mariners.
Not a single MLB pitcher has ever managed to throw more than one perfect game.
How Many Perfect Games Ruined By A Dropped Third Strike?
Since 2022, there has only been one potential perfect game ruined by the catcher dropping the third strike. The unlucky catcher was Pedro Severino on May 5, 2021, Orioles vs. Mariners.
While Severino was later to face an 80-game ban in 2022 for a substance violation, the fault of the dropped catch wasn’t entirely his. John Means, the Orioles pitcher, threw a wild one at batter Sam Haggerty. The ball went through Severino’s legs and into the backstop. Haggerty wasn’t one to pass up such a gift and hauled butt to first base.
But Severino got revenge, throwing Haggerty out the next pitch when he tried to steal second.
What Is A Shutout In Baseball?
A shutout in baseball is when the opposing team never scores. The win is credited to the pitcher, even if the pitcher has allowed a hit. Thus, a shutout is not necessarily a no-hitter or a perfect game. However, every perfect game is a shutout.
Perfect Game Vs. No Hitter?
A no-hitter in baseball means just that; the opposing team never got a hit. However, a no-hitter does not necessarily mean it’s a perfect game, shutout, or a win, as there are other methods for a batter to get on base, such as stealing first, a forced out, hitting the batter, or a dropped third strike.
In regards to a forced out, there is actually a bat hitting the ball, but it isn’t recorded as a hit. For example, if the batter hits down the third baseline, the runner on second might be forced out while the batter makes it to first. Thus, while the bat did touch the ball, it isn’t considered a hit.
How Many Pitchers Have Thrown No-Hitters And Lost?
There have been over 300 MLB no-hitters since July 2022. Out of those games, only six games without a hit being given up resulted in a loss. However, not all six of these games fall into the 1991 definition of a no-hitter, which now requires nine full innings to be played.
The first two no-hitter losses occurred in 1964 and 1967.
No-Hitter Loss: Houston Colt.45s Vs. Cincinnati Reds, 1964
The first and most famous example of losing a no-hitting game occurred on April 23, 1964, with the Houston Colt.45s vs. the Cincinnati Reds. Ken Johnson was pitching for Houston and pulled off a nine-inning no-hitter. But Houston lost, Cincinnati scoring a single run.
The Cincinnati run was scored by Pete Rose, who in 1963 had been named National League Rookie of the Year. He’d got on base after a bunt caused a forced out for another runner (forced outs are not statistical hits). He’d taken second due to an error and ran to third during a line drive by Chico Ruiz that saw Ruiz back to the dugout.
Thus, Rose was ready when Vada Pinson hit a grounder to second baseman Nellie Fox. Pinson should have been an easy out, but Fox fumbled, and Rose ran home.
To this day, Johnson remains the only pitcher to ever throw for a full nine-innings, achieve a no-hitter, and lose the game. After the game, Johnson said it was “A hell of a way to get into the record books.”
No-Hitter Loss: Detroit Tigers Vs. Baltimore Orioles, 1967
The only other nine-inning no-hitter that resulted in a loss occurred on April 30, 1967, with the Detroit Tigers beating the Baltimore Orioles. It’s a feat that’s not obvious with the score: 2-1.
Steve Barber started off pitching for the Orioles. He was doing well until the ninth inning when he walked the first two batsmen: Norm Cash and Ray Oyler. But after a wild pitch that allowed Dick Tracewski to score, who’d made it on base earlier with a sacrifice bunt.
With the game tied, Stu Miller was brought in to face the final two batters. The first was Don Wert, who hit a grounder. But an error from the second baseman Mark Belanger allowed Oyler to score. Miller got the next batsman out, and the Orioles had the bottom of the ninth to turn things around. But then never could manage another run. Thus, they lost the game by one run despite being a no-hitter.
Conclusion
A perfect game in baseball is rare, with only 23 ever recorded from 1876 to 2022. Moreover, no pitcher in the MBL has ever managed to pull off the feat more than once. Thus, if you are ever privileged to see one, treasure it. A perfect game is genuinely a rare wonder.