Mark Buehrle pitches a perfect game

Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox became only the 18th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to throw a 'perfect game' when he closed out the entire nine innings of the Tampa Bay Rays' batting in a 5-0 win at Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field.

Buerhle, who had previously thrown a no-hitter in 2007, had his colleague Dewayne Wise to thank for achieving the record. In the ninth and final inning, Kapler pulled off a remarkable catch from a deep hit by Tampa's Gabe Kapler which would have gone for a home run had Wise not stolen it.

The last perfect game was pitched by Arizona Diamondbacks' Randy Johnson in 2004. President Barack Obama, a fan of the White Sox, called the 30-year-old after the game to personally congratulate him.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Chris de Luca, Chiciago Sun-Times: "But the last out to secure his second career no-hitter? That seemed to unwind in slow motion. Buehrle delivered a curveball that started high in the zone. Tampa Bay Rays No. 9 hitter Jason Bartlett chopped at it and hit a high-bouncing ball to shortstop. Alexei Ramirez glided over a few steps, scooped up the ball and delivered a looping throw to first base. Josh Fields steadied his hands and gathered in the routine throw. Twenty-seven batters, 27 outs."

Lynn Zinger, New York Times: "Buehrle had six strikeouts, and 11 of his outs came on ground balls. By the ninth, the crowd of 28,036 at U.S. Cellular Field cheered loudly as the possibility of the perfect game grew closer. In the ninth, fans were chanting his name. Before then, Buehrle did not need any great defensive plays to help him. Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria hit a line drive in the fourth inning that went right to shortstop Alexei Ramirez. With one out in the eighth, Rays second baseman Ben Zobrist dribbled a grounder that slowly rolled foul. He then popped out on a 3-2 pitch. The next batter, Pat Burrell, lined a ball to left that curled foul, with the third-base umpire, Laz Diaz, making an emphatic call. Burrell then sent a liner toward third, but third baseman Gordon Beckham was in perfect position to spear it."

Andrew Seligman, Boston Globe: "The 106th pitch of Mark Buehrle’s day broke in toward Gabe Kapler, who turned on it and connected. Buehrle looked up and knew - his perfect game was in jeopardy. Just in as a defensive replacement, White Sox center fielder DeWayne Wise sprinted toward the fence in left-center, a dozen strides. What happened next would be either a moment of baseball magic or the ninth-inning end of Buehrle’s bid for perfection against the Tampa Bay Rays. Wise jumped and extended his right arm above the top of the 8-foot wall. The ball landed in his glove’s webbing but then popped out for a split second as he was caroming off the wall and stumbling on the warning track. Wise grabbed it with his bare left hand, fell to the ground and rolled. He bounced up, proudly displaying the ball for the crowd. Magic. A home run turned into an out." ·