Wow.
I don't really have anything to say, but I have to post something about Matt Cain's perfect game.
Just wow.
Lucky for me, I was able to watch it on the Astros feed, and then I flipped over to MLB network to listen to the Giants TV team in the 9th.
Here's Cain's baseball-reference page.
Let's see...Marichal's no-no was before I was born. I don't remember Perry's. I don't have any specific memories of either Montefusco's or Halicki's...I sort of remember them happening, but I don't think I listened to either on the radio (which would have been listening to KNBR in Phoenix...it is a really powerful station), and of course in those days there was no way to watch most games, and no cut-ins from not-yet-existing ESPN or MLB. So the only one I really remember is the Sanchez no hitter a few years ago.
Anyway, I hope all of you who care about these things were able to watch. Couldn't asked for more. He was totally dominant up through one out in the 6th, and then we got Gregor Blanco's amazing catch in the 7th, and plus the Giants acted like they were taking batting practice for the first five innings. I don't know whether the Giants broadcasters were making a big deal about it, but this was the first time that the whole starting lineup was in there since the Sandoval injury, and in fact the first game all season with all five -- five! -- guys who entered the game all with an OPS+ better than 125, all in the lineup together. Who knows how long it'll last, but as of now it's actually a respectable lineup, no?
Well. I shouldn't babble on too much. Just a really fun night.
(And no, I know it's not Friday; it's just tradition).
Update: the great Steven Rubio on the perfect game. I also added a link to the box score, above. I'll add additional links if anyone alerts me to anything good written about it.
He cleared 100 in Game Score, at 101. Wow.
ReplyDeleteKuip and Jon Miller and Dave Flemming (Kruk's off) all commented several times about the lineup being "the healthy one".
ReplyDeleteMy son and his wife were at the game!
I wasn't at the game, but I was on the Caltrain back, packed with ecstatic Giants fans.
ReplyDeletethis was the first time that the whole starting lineup was in there
ReplyDeleteFreddy Sanchez says hello. No, don't wave, Freddy! Oh, hell. Someone put a cast on that.
@Martin: Meanwhile my man R.A. Dickey scored 95 (nine innings,
ReplyDeleteone hit, one unearned run, no walks,12 strikeouts). How often is a game like that so thoroughly overshadowed in the highlight reels?
And I have both of them on one of my fantasy teams.
DeleteUnfortunately, it's the fantasy team that ALREADY leads its league in ERA and WHIP and is #2 in Ks.
Yes, I got to watch the last few innings. Cap tip to Vin Scully. I was watching Angels at Dodgers, and he mentioned the perfection in progress in the 6th. So I switched over (I have the MLB Extra Innings package). Very impressive; I was just hoping he'd get at least 15 Ks.
ReplyDeleteHaving grown up an Angels fan in the 1970s, I have memories of events like this. I was fortunate to see Ryan's third career no-hitter at the ballpark, as well as his first one on TV. And I attended two of his many one-hitters, including one that would have been his third of the season (never been done, to this day). Even though we've had, what, five so far this year--including now two perfect games--these are still something very special.
Too bad Verlander just missed earlier this year becoming a member of the very exclusive 3 career no-hitter club. And in the 2010 playoffs, Halladay narrowly missed membership in the even more exclusive postseason perfect game (1 member) and two career perfect games (0 members) clubs.
I've always had a fascination this these sorts of games...