Mark Buehrle Throws a Perfect Game

White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle made history on the South Side of Chicago Thursday afternoon, tossing a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

It's the first perfect game in the majors since Randy Johnson back on May 18, 2004, and the 18th in Major League Baseball history. It's also the second no-hitter thrown by Buehrle in his career. He no-hit the Texas Rangers back on April 18, 2007.

"I bought everyone watches after the last one. That was an expensive no-hitter,'' Buehrle told reporters. "This one will probably be more expensive."

Buehrle, who needed only 116 pitches to complete the feat, might want to save the most expensive gift for Dewayne Wise. Coming in as a defensive replacement in center field in the ninth inning, Wise reached over the fence to rob Gabe Kapler of what would have been a sure home run. He bobbled the ball as he absorbed the collision with the wall on the way down from his leap, but managed to hang on.

"I was hoping it was staying in there, give him enough room to catch it. I know the guys were doing everything they could to save the no-hitter, the perfect game, whatever it might be," Buehrle said.

Wise called it one of the best plays he had ever made.

"I was with the Braves in '04 and I was there when Randy Johnson of the Diamondbacks pitched a perfect game. So I've been on both sides of it," he said. "It was probably the best catch I've ever made because of the circumstances.

"It was kind of crazy, man, because when I jumped, the ball hit my glove at the same time I was hitting the wall. So I didn't realize I had caught it until I fell down and the ball was coming out of my glove, so I reached out and grabbed it."

Buehrle received a congratulatory phone call from President Barack Obama moments after completing the perfecto. Obama, of course, is a noted White Sox and baseball fan.

"I'm still in shock. Thank you, sir," Buehrle told Obama over the phone.

The perfect game helped the White Sox move into a de facto tie with the Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL Central (Chicago is behind Detroit by 1/100th of a percentage point), with the two teams set to open a four-game series on Friday in Detroit.

Buehrle is the 26th pitcher in major league history to record multiple no-hitters during his career, and just the second to accomplish the feat multiple times in a White Sox uniform. He is also only the sixth to throw a no-hitter and a perfect game. Only one other White Sox pitcher -- Charles Robertson in 1922 -- has pitched a perfect game.

Records and statistics

On April 16, 2005, he finished a game against the Seattle Mariners in only 1 hour and 39 minutes, giving up only 1 run and 3 hits (all to Ichiro Suzuki), and backed by only two White Sox runs, both homers by Paul Konerko. In the game, he threw just 106 pitches. Subtracting the time spent between innings, the game took only 63½ minutes to play.

On October 25, 2005, Buehrle became the first pitcher in World Series history to start and save consecutive games.

On May 14, 2006, in a game against the Minnesota Twins, Buehrle became the first major league starting pitcher in over a century to allow seven runs in the first inning but then win the game. The previous time had been on September 29, 1900, when Jack Powell of the St. Louis Cardinals pitched such a game against the Chicago Orphans.

Buehrle hit his first major league home run on June 14, 2009 off Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Braden Looper, becoming the first White Sox pitcher to hit a home run in a game since Jon Garland on June 18, 2006, at Cincinnati. Buehrle ripped a 3-2 pitch off Looper well over the fence in right center to lead off the top of the third inning. He then took a normal trot around the bases and was greeted briefly by his teammates at home plate before running down the dugout tunnel.

On July 23, 2009, Buehrle threw his second career no-hitter against the Tampa Bay Rays at U.S. Cellular Field. It was also the eighteenth perfect game in Major League history. With this perfect game, Buehrle became the 24th pitcher to throw multiple no-hitters in a career. Coincidentally, the home plate umpire for both of Buehrle's feats were Eric Cooper.

Mark Buehrle

Mark Alan Buehrle (born March 23, 1979, in St. Charles, Missouri) is a left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the Chicago White Sox since 2000.

Buehrle is a command pitcher, relying more on finesse and accuracy than velocity. He is considered an efficient pitcher, pitching quickly and keeping his pitch count low. Buehrle throws a fastball, curveball, changeup, slider, and cut fastball. He has pitched over 200 innings for the eight seasons since becoming a starter in 2001. He started the opening game for the White Sox every season from 2002 to 2006 and again in 2008 and 2009. Buehrle threw a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers on April 18, 2007, and a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 23, 2009. He is currently eighth all-time in wins and innings pitched by a pitcher in a White Sox uniform.