 Matt Cain in 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | June 13, 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Venue | AT&T Park | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| City | San Francisco, California | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 42,298 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Television | Comcast SportsNet Bay Area | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TV announcers | Duane Kuiper (play-by-play/color commentary) Jon Miller (play-by-play/color commentary) Dave Flemming (play-by-play during middle innings) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Radio | KNBR | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Radio announcers | Dave Flemming (play-by-play) Duane Kuiper (play-by-play during middle innings) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
On June 13, 2012,Matt Cain of theSan Francisco Giants pitched the 22ndperfect game inMajor League Baseball (MLB) history and the first in Giants' franchise history. Prior to the game, Cain and professional golferDustin Johnson hit golf balls from home plate intoMcCovey Cove.[1] Pitching against theHouston Astros atAT&T Park inSan Francisco, California,[2] Cain retired all 27 batters that he faced and tallied 14strikeouts,[3] tied for the most strikeouts in a perfect game withSandy Koufax of theLos Angeles Dodgers in 1965. FollowingPhilip Humber's perfect game earlier in 2012, Cain's performance marked just the third season in MLB history in which multiple perfect games were thrown. In June 1880,Lee Richmond andJohn Montgomery Ward both threw perfect games; in May 2010Dallas Braden andRoy Halladay both accomplished the feat.[4]
Two notable defensive plays by Cain's teammates kept the perfect game intact.Melky Cabrera made a running catch at the wall in left field in the top of the sixth inning, whileGregor Blanco made a diving catch in right-center field to start the top of the seventh.[5]
It was the first Giantsno-hitter since left-handerJonathan Sánchez threw one on July 10, 2009, against theSan Diego Padres at AT&T Park. The Astros were no-hit for the fifth time in franchise history, and the first time sinceCarlos Zambrano threw a no-hitter for theChicago Cubs on September 14, 2008 atMiller Park (moved fromMinute Maid Park because ofHurricane Ike). It was the second time the Astros were no-hit by the Giants;Juan Marichal did it on June 15, 1963.[6] It was also the first time in Astros history that no one reached base safely.
Cain surpassed his previous personal best of 12 strikeouts in a single game, which he set in 2006. Cain's 125 pitches were the most thrown in a Major League perfect game.[7] The Giants recorded 10 runs, the second most by any team in a perfect game after theNew York Yankees who scored 11 runs duringDomingo Germán's perfect game.[8] By scoring a run in the 5th inning (Blanco home run), Cain became the only pitcher to have scored a run in his perfect game, a distinction which will likely stand in perpetuity following the National League's permanent adoption of thedesignated hitter beginning in the 2022 season.
The final out was made by Astros pinch-hitterJason Castro, who hit his first career Major League home run off of Cain. Castro chopped a 1-2 pitch to third base where it was fielded deep behind the bag by third basemanJoaquin Arias. Arias successfully made the long throw across the diamond to first basemanBrandon Belt, who then tucked the ball in his back pocket before joining his teammates on the mound in celebration.[9]
Duane Kuiper andJon Miller (asMike Krukow was absent)[why?] were announcing onComcast SportsNet Bay Area whileDave Flemming was onKNBR. Kuiper and Flemming switched spots on TV and radio during the middle innings.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Houston Astros (26–36) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| San Francisco Giants (36–27) | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 10 | 15 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Matt Cain (8–2) LP:J. A. Happ (4–7) Home runs: HOU: None SF:Melky Cabrera (5),Brandon Belt (2),Gregor Blanco (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FIELDING
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BATTING
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And this is hit out into the alleyway, a long run for[Gregor] Blanco, and Blanco's gonna dive, and he makes the catch! Just an unbelievable catch here in the seventh inning! It was unbelievable.
— Duane Kuiper calls Gregor Blanco's diving catch in the seventh inning onCSN Bay Area.
Here's the 3-2 pitch on the way. And it is driven to right center field, on the move Blanco, sprinting back, Gregor Blanco reaches out, DIVING, HE CAUGHT IT!
— Giants radio call of Blanco's diving catch in the seventh inning.
Cain appeared to look around. Gazing at the upper deck. But now looking intoBuster Posey. One ball and two strikes. On the ground,[Joaquín] Arias, from deep third, got him! And that's a perfect game! And the Giants, mobbing Matt Cain on the pitcher's mound! What an unbelievable performance, by Matt Cain. That's the 22nd perfect game in Major League history. The last to do it wasPhilip Humber on April 21st of this year. And the first in the Giants franchise history.
— Kuiper television call onCSN Bay Area of the final out of the perfect game.
The 130th year of Giants baseball. Matt Cain, the first in all those many years, to pitch a perfect game.
— Jon Miller television call onCSN Bay Area after the perfect game.
I knew that I hadn't given up a hit early in the game, whether it was the third or fourth inning. But you (Amy G ofCSN Bay Area) were the one that told me it was a perfect game. I had never thought about that.[11]
— Cain, responding to a reporter's question about when he realized he had not allowed a baserunner.
Cain's cleats, hat, uniform, dirt taken from thepitcher's mound, and a ball from the game will be included in an exhibit in theNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. All four umpires signed a game ball for Cain, and Belt gave Cain the ball used to record the final out.[7]
According toBill James'game score statistic, Cain's perfect game tiedSandy Koufax's perfect game for the most dominant modern-era perfect game.[12]
Cain's perfect game would be the first of four no-hitters thrown by Giants pitching in four consecutive seasons, asTim Lincecum would no-hit the San Diego Padres in both 2013 (in San Diego) and 2014 (in San Francisco), andChris Heston would no-hit the New York Mets during his rookie season in 2015. Lincecum's first no-hitter came only eleven days after being the losing pitcher when the Giants were no-hit byHomer Bailey of the Cincinnati Reds.
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