Top 5 Perfect Games in MLB History

The great thing about going to a baseball game is that no matter what day it is, whether it's the end of April or the beginning of September, fans can come to the ballpark with the potential to see something special. One of the rarest things that can be seen at a ballgame is a perfect game, 27 up and 27 down. No hits, no errors, no base runners. This has only happened 18 times in the history of modern professional baseball. Here is a look at five of the most exciting perfect games ever pitched.

#5. Texas Rangers vs. California Angels - July 28, 1994: This was the night that defined Kenny Rogers' career. Known as a crafty lefty, Rogers had been struggling coming into the matchup against the Angels. However, with future hall of famer Ivan Rodriguez behind the plate Rogers retired all 27 Angels that came to bat at the Ballpark in Arlington. However, the most memorable moment of this game may have come from center field rather than the pitching mound. According to MLB.com, to lead off the ninth, Angels second baseman Rex Hudler hit a sinking line drive into shallow center, but out of nowhere CF Rusty Greer dove to make a fantastic catch and preserve the 4-0 win and the first perfect game thrown by a left-handed pitcher in the American League.

#4. Chicago White Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays - July 23 2009: Here is another game that was defined by a defensive play as much as it was for the terrific pitching. Lefty Mark Buehrle had thrown a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers two years prior, but he stepped it up a notch on this day. Buehrle, in his typical fast-faced style, cruised through the first eight innings, but to lead off the ninth right fielder Gabe Kapler came to the plate. According to MLB.com, on a 2-2 count, Kapler hit a ball long down the left field line foul, and followed up by hitting the next pitch to the wall in left-center field where Dewayne Wise, in his first inning of play, leaped and brought the ball back from over the wall for a bare-handed catch that saved the perfect game and a 4-0 win.

#3. Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Atlanta Braves - May 18, 2004: On this night Randy Johnson became the oldest pitcher in Major League Baseball history to throw a no-hitter. Johnson accomplished the feat by beating the Braves 2-0 at 40 years old. For Johnson's brilliant career, this game was another notch in the belt, on that included winning Cy Young awards, strikeout records, and winning a World Series. The Braves were completely overmatched as Johnson pumped in heater after heater, while mixing things up with a great slider. "A game like this is pretty special," said Johnson, according to ESPN.com, "It doesn't come along very often."

#2. New York Yankees vs. Montreal Expos - July 18, 1999: David Cone had been a star pitcher before, winning the 1994 Cy Young Award as a pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, but on this day Cone brought magic and emotion into Yankee Stadium. That day the Yankees were honoring former catcher and manager Yogi Berra at the Stadium. For the ceremonial first pitch, they had Don Larson - who threw the only perfect game in the World Series - throw the pitch to Berra. So, with Larson and Berra in the building, Cone mows down the Expos - even through a 33-minute rain delay, according to MLB.com - to become the third man to throw a perfect game at Yankee Stadium in a 6-0 victory.

#1. New York Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers - Oct. 8, 1956: There is not a more dramatic time to throw a perfect game than in the World Series, and only one man has ever achieved that feat. Don Larson, coming off a rough outing in game two, was unexpectedly brought back to pitch again in game five. Nobody, including Larson, could have expected what was about to take place. "I never had control like that before or since," he says. "It just seemed that everything I threw was on the black," according to SI.com. Larson would finish things off by fanning Dodgers pinch hitter Dale Mitchell, bringing on one of baseball's most famous images; Yogi Berra jumping up to hug Larson as he came off the mound to win the game 2-0 and take a 3-2 lead in a series that the Yankees would hold on to win.

Sources:

David Just, "Buerhle enters record books with perfecto." MLB.com

"Johnson K's 13 in Perfect Effort." ESPN.com.

"Perfection on Yogi Berra Day." MLB.com.

Phil Taylor, "Don Larson - Pitcher Perfect." SI.com.

Rhett Bollinger, "For one game, Rogers was perfect." MLB.com.