Throughout the history of Major League Baseball, there have been a total of 24 perfect games tossed by pitchers. A perfect game means pitching an entire game of at least 9 innings without allowing a single baserunner. Not one of the 27+ opposing plate appearances can result in reaching base via, for instance, getting a hit, drawing a walk, getting plunked by a pitch, or a fielding error.
And it’s that last one that’s always stuck in my craw. After all, if a batter reaches via error, the pitcher bears no responsibility for that. In fact, when we get down to brass tacks, if a pitcher’s lone baserunner allowed reached via error, that’s actually a more impressive pure pitching performance than what we currently consider a perfect game. While all 24 perfectos have been 27 up, 27 down, an error presents an opportunity to crank that dial up a notch to what would be for all intents and purposes 28 up, 28 down.
The most noteworthy FAIAP28U28D™ performance actually didn’t stem from a fielding error, but rather an umpiring error when 6/2/10 Armando Galarraga was one out from perfection when ump Jim Joyce erroneously ruled Jason Donald safe at first before Galarraga then recorded his “28th” out. There are surely other instances where an ump’s blown call cost someone perfection, however that one stands out since it occurred with two outs in the 9th inning.
And although Galarraga immediately attracted tons of sympathy, I always thought he could take a ton of solace in that FAIAP28U28D dynamic. But whereas he officially allowed a hit in the box score (even if it was undeserved), I wanna shine a light on the 11 individual performances wherein a pitcher tossed 9 innings of official no-hit ball while also walking and plunking no one … only to still get robbed of the recognition of perfection.
In 10 of them, the source of the robbery was an error committed in the field. And in the 11th, believe it or not, someone pitched a 9-inning complete game, allowed no hits, no walks, didn’t hit anyone, his team committed no errors, and he still managed to thread the needle of not getting deemed perfect. Let’s start with the former, the perfection-but-for-errors, with every plate appearance linked for each of the first eight performances and the box score linked for the remaining archaic two:
Here’s the perfection-preventing-error by third baseman Yunel Escobar – and there were all sorts of elements that make this FAIAP28U28D stand out even more. It was against the eventual pennant-winning Mets, and only two of Scherzer’s 28 batters faced managed to send the ball beyond the confines of the infield. Two! Leftfielder Tyler Moore retired a batter in the 2nd inning and the 4th inning. Each of the Mets’ other 26 plate appearances were either strikeouts or handled by an infielder. Speaking of strikeouts, Mad Max had a whopping 17 of ‘em (including nine consecutive Mets), more than any pitcher’s ever had in an official perfect game.
And as a delightful touch, when including the Mets’ arms, this game was as big a strikeout-fest as you’ll ever see with three consecutive Michaels, 11 consecutive batters, and 13 out of 14 batters sat down on strikes (with the lone exception homering).
Also, even though the overwhelming majority (north of 90%) of non-perfect no-hitters include at least one walk, fascinatingly enough this was actually Scherzer’s second no-hitter of the 2015 season in which he also allowed no walks, yet still wasn’t perfect. Back on June 20th the lone baserunner he allowed was when he plunked a Pirate, made even more excruciating by occurring with two outs and two strikes in the 9th inning, with perfection 80/81 completed.
6/18/14 Clayton Kershaw vs. Rockies
In the midst of an MVP campaign, this game was the magnum opus nestled within arguably the greatest peak any big league pitcher’s ever had, and only a poor throw by shortstop Hanley Ramirez stood in the way of official perfection. As someone who watched this game live, I think Miguel Rojas – better known for this World Series-saving homer – had perhaps as dazzling a web gem to preserve a no-hitter as I’ve ever seen.
Additional elements that made this FAIAP28U28D even greater/cooler:
• 15 strikeouts (more than any pitcher’s ever had in a perfect game).
• only three Rocky plate appearances necessitated the presence of a Dodger outfielder, with 25 of 28 Rox either striking out or keeping the ball in the infield• only once did Kershaw have a count even reach three balls, and not a single pitch he threw across the final two innings was a ball. I’d certainly hypothesize that it’s an incredibly rare feat for a pitcher to toss back-to-back innings without a single blemish of the most benign degree possible, let alone a starter across the 8th and 9th innings, let alone within a FAIAP28U28D game.
7/10/09 Jonathan Sánchez vs. Padres
In Sánchez’s only career complete game, he retired each of the first 22 Padres before a flub by third baseman Juan Uribe derailed his bid for the technical definition of perfection.
Additional elements that made this FAIAP28U28D even greater/cooler:
• It was the Giants’ first no-hitter in 33 years (which was also nearly derailed in the 9th, so hopefully Sánchez sent Aaron Rowand a basket of mini-muffins or something).
8/15/90 Terry Mulholland vs. Giants
This gem came from out of nowhere, as Mulholland had personally been responsible for allowing at least 10 baserunners in each of his prior five starts. The error in this one was committed on a throw by third baseman Charlie Hayes that just barely dragged first baseman John Kruk from the bag.
Additional elements that made this game even greater/cooler:
• got to luxuriate in the sweetest of revenge as this game occurred against the team that traded him away the prior season
• managed to not even need to pitch to a 28th batter as he induced a double play after the error, so he pitched 9 innings and not only was personally responsible for allowing nary a single baserunner, he also faced the minimum 27 batters – the only such performance in MLB history to not qualify for its definition of perfection.
• also hit an RBI single, so he personally produced more offense than the entire Giants team
It was thanks to an early error by shortstop Bill Russell that Reuss faced, and for all intents and purposes retired, 28 Giants.
While his pitching technically was responsible for allowing no baserunners, he did still bear overall responsibility for the one A that reached base as it stemmed from his own throwing error in the 4th inning. Still completely flawless pitching for 28 batters though.
Additional elements that made this FAIAP28U28D even greater/cooler:
• Bosman’s domination occurred against the eventual World Series champs
McCahan had a relatively brief 290.2-inning career, but still made his mark in his only full season, registering MLB’s lone FAIAP28U28D game across the 53 years spanning 1921-73.
7/1/20 Walter Johnson @ Red Sox
I’m particularly fond of the fact that this FAIAP28U28D game included multiple innings (1st, 8th) with multiple foul popups to the catcher.
Just based on the box score, which is the only data available, this one stands out even from the others for it was not a FAIAP28U28D, but in fact a FAIAP29U29D. In each of the above eight games, one single error prevented official perfection. In this one, Rucker’s Superbas committed not one, not two, but three errors. It is the only game in MLB history in which a pitcher faced 29 batters and didn’t personally allow a single one to reach base.
Additional elements that made this game even greater/cooler:
• the reason he didn’t get a chance at a 30th Dove was due to his personal execution of a double play
• 14 strikeouts
6/13/05 Christy Mathewson @ Cubs
Mathewson split the difference between 8/15/90 Mulholland and 9/5/08 Rucker; his Giants committed two errors, but he was also able to generate a double play for his own unique spin on a FAIAP28U28D.
Those are the 10 performances that truly reflected perfection but for fielding errors spoiling/boosting the effort (spoiling based on MLB’s flawed definition of perfection, boosting based on pragmatism/common sense). Now it’s time to get to the mystical 11th, the no-hitter with no walks, no hit batsmen, and no team errors that still wasn’t perfect:
After retiring the first seven Mariners, John Means got Sam Haggerty to chase a knuckle curve in the dirt for strike three, but with the pitch getting away from catcher Pedro Severino, Haggerty’s able to safely take first base. With no one else reaching base for the rest of the game, it is the one and only no-hitter of its kind.
Additional elements that made this game even greater/cooler:
• it was the Orioles’ first individual no-hitter since 8/13/69 Jim Palmer and the franchise’s first no-hitter on the road since 1912 when they were the St. Louis Browns, 42 years before they moved to Baltimore
• Haggerty was subsequently caught stealing, so while Means crafted the lone all-time non-perfect no-hitter that included no BB/HBP/E, he serendipitously just so happened to also face the minimum 27 batters.
• 12 strikeouts
I’d also be remiss to not give honorable mention to four guys who pitched games that were adjacent to being better than “perfect”:
5/26/59 Harvey Haddix @ Braves
It was 27 up, 27 down thru 9 innings for Haddix against the reigning back-to-back pennant-winning Braves. But, having gotten no run support, the game reached extras … where Haddix not only remained in the game, but pitched a perfect 10th inning … then a perfect 11th … then a perfect 12th. 36 up 36 down! Still in the game in the 13th inning, finally the first Brave reached base … via error. And Haddix ultimately and brutally gets dealt the L when the first hit he allows scores the game-winning unearned run in a bizarro walk-off. Technically not a perfect game since he eventually allowed baserunners, but he only did so after having faced, and retired, 33.3% more batters than did any of the 24 authors of MLB’s official perfect games.
Also, the Braves had 39 competitive plate appearances (plus an intentional walk) – Haddix didn’t allow a single one of the final 37 to even reach a three-ball count. Hell, in something I find beyond astonishing, he faced twenty-two (22) consecutive batters – spanning when there were two outs in the 4th inning all the way up thru the 11th inning – without throwing more than one (1) ball to any of ‘em. Truly a master of his domain for 12 innings, more than anyone has any business maintaining perfection.
6/3/95 Pedro Martínez @ Padres
Like 5/26/59 Haddix, Pedro was perfect thru 9 innings, only for the game to head to extras after his Expos couldn’t get on the board either. He went out there to start the 10th inning, where finally a Padre reached base. Obviously it’s not on Pedro that the game went to extras, so he fundamentally accomplished the same exact thing as the 24 who tossed perfectos, only the latter all had the benefit of playing for teams whose bats, yanno, scored in regulation.
Shore didn’t start the game – that honor went to Babe Ruth, who was ejected after walking the first opposing batter. Then after Shore entered the game, all 27 outs were recorded under his watch without allowing a single Nat to reach base. And in fact the leadoff hitter whom Ruth walked was then caught stealing second, allowing this to remain the only individual 9-inning pitching performance in MLB history in which only 26 batters were faced. Falls short of the technical perfection definition though. Also as a side note, Shore personally carried out fielding responsibilities on 35% of the Nats he retired; I’ve never seen any other game in which a pitcher was even close to that active in the field.
4/25/21 Madison Bumgarner @ Braves
Facing the eventual World Series champs, Bumgarner wasn’t responsible for allowing a single baserunner, with an error as the only reason the Braves got someone aboard. Bumgarner then expertly navigated his way out of it, with a double play setting the stage for what would ordinarily be a hell of a chance to give 8/15/90 Mulholland some company in the 9-innings-of-not-personally-allowing-any-baserunners-and-facing the minimum-yet-still-not-being-perfect club. But alas it was just a 7-inning game. The spirit was there though.
I don’t know how we should refer to a pitcher’s outing in which the only batter(s) he allows to reach base did so via error. Perhaps super/hyper/ultra-perfect? Perfect-plus? Because from a pure pitching perspective, they’re unequivocally more impressive than the current definition of perfection that entails facing and retiring 27 batters. By definition they entail either extending the same paradigm of perfection even beyond a 27th batter and/or having to adroitly eliminate from the base path someone who’s aboard for a reason beyond the pitcher's control.
So if that definition supersedes the perfection definition, those performances where the only baserunners reach via error deserve that to be reflected in such a moniker. But whether they’re given their own name or MLB expands its definition of perfection, at the very least they simply must be given some sort of distinction that delineates ‘em from the more rank-and-file no-hitters.
The idea that a no-hitter in which a pitcher personally allows zero baserunners but someone reaches on an error should be categorized in the same way as, say, A.J. Burnett’s no-hitter when he walked nine Padres and plunked a 10th is completely laughable. May the truly superior no-nos get the respect and appreciation they deserve.