Perfect games are some of the rarest feats in baseball, something that hasn’t happened in the majors since 2012.
Back then, it was Felix Hernandez throwing a perfect game for the Mariners, and it was just the 23rd ever in MLB history. Chicago Cubs pitcher Drew Smyly nearly threw the 24th on Friday.
Smyly had a perfect game going against the Los Angeles Dodgers all the way into the eighth inning, needing just six more outs to get there. With pinch-hitter David Peralta leading off, Smyly induced a slow dribbler up the third-base line for what appeared to be a tough but routine first out.
Instead, it turned into disaster.
What a way to lose a perfect game pic.twitter.com/k9qHOvWvVO
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) April 21, 2023
Oh my goodness, that is tough. Smyly lost his perfect game on a weak single with an exit velocity of just 32.9 miles per hour, all because his catcher accidentally tackled him.
It’s hard to fault anyone because both Smyly and catcher Yan Gomes were going hard to make a play. There was just miscommunication on who was going to get the ball, and that was all she wrote.
Maybe neither player would’ve made the play, but I’m sure Smyly would have appreciated a try at it. After the hit, he got two more outs before being pulled with a solid line that included no walks, no runs allowed and just that one hit. He was so close.
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