SEATTLE — Felix Hernandez, the 26-year-old ace of the Seattle Mariners, pitched the first perfect game in franchise history Wednesday in beating Tampa Bay 1-0.
Using a fastball that topped out at 95 mph, a changeup, curve and slider, Hernandez retired all 27 batters he faced using 113 pitches.
The lone run of the game came in the third inning, when rookie designated hitter Jesus Montero’s two-out single drove in Brendan Ryan, who’d stolen a base and taken third on a wild pitch.
It was the fourth no-hitter in Mariners history and the third thrown by one pitcher as Hernandez joined Randy Johnson and Chris Bosio.
The Mariners used six pitchers to no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 8 this year. Chicago White Sox pitcher Phillip Humber threw a perfect game against Seattle on April 21.
Seattle thus became the first team in baseball history to throw a perfect game and have one thrown against it in the same season — and in the same ball park.
Hernandez became just the second Latin American pitcher to pitch a perfect game, joining Nicaraguan Dennis Martinez.
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