Domingo Germán's perfect game
{{Short description|2023 Major League Baseball game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Infobox baseball game
| game = Domingo Germán's perfect game
| image = Domingo German (46644031395).jpg
| caption = Domingo Germán with the Yankees in 2019
| visitor = New York Yankees
| top1 = 0
| top2 = 0
| top3 = 0
| top4 = 1
| top5 = 6
| top6 = 0
| top7 = 1
| top8 = 0
| top9 = 3
| visitor_r = 11
| visitor_h = 11
| visitor_e = 0
| visitor_total = 11
| home = Oakland Athletics
| bot1 = 0
| bot2 = 0
| bot3 = 0
| bot4 = 0
| bot5 = 0
| bot6 = 0
| bot7 = 0
| bot8 = 0
| bot9 = 0
| home_r = 0
| home_h = 0
| home_e = 3
| home_total = 0
| date = June 28, 2023
| venue = Oakland Coliseum
| city = Oakland, California
| manager_visitor = Aaron Boone
| manager_home = Mark Kotsay
| umpires = {{unbulleted list
| HP: Edwin Moscoso
| 1B: Nate Tomlinson
| 2B: Jordan Baker
| 3B: Chris Guccione
}}
|attendance = 12,479
|first_pitch =
|television = NBC Sports California (Athletics)
YES Network (Yankees)
|tv_announcers = NBC Sports California:
Johnny Doskow (play-by-play)
Dallas Braden (color commentary)
YES Network:
Ryan Ruocco (play-by-play)
Jeff Nelson (color commentary)
|radio = {{Unbulleted list
| English:
KNEW 960 (Athletics)
WFAN 660 (Yankees)
| Spanish:
KIQI 1010 (Athletics)
WADO 1280 (Yankees)
}}
|radio_announcers = WFAN:
Justin Shackil (play-by-play), Suzyn Waldman (color commentary)
}}
On June 28, 2023, the Dominican professional baseball pitcher Domingo Germán of the New York Yankees threw the 24th perfect game in Major League Baseball history, and the fourth in Yankees franchise history. Germán pitched it during an 11–0 win against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California.{{cite news |last=Snyder |first=Matt |date=June 28, 2023 |title=Domingo German achieves 24th perfect game in MLB history, giving Yankees most ever with four|url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/domingo-german-achieves-24th-perfect-game-in-mlb-history-giving-yankees-most-ever-with-four/live/ |work=CBS Sports |accessdate=June 28, 2023 |archive-date=June 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629054613/https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/domingo-german-achieves-24th-perfect-game-in-mlb-history-giving-yankees-most-ever-with-four/live/ |url-status=live }}
With Germán's perfect game, the Yankees became the first MLB franchise with four perfect games pitched. Oakland Coliseum joined the original Yankee Stadium as the only venues to host three perfect games. The game's color commentary for the Athletics' broadcast was done by former Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden, who threw a perfect game himself in 2010.
Background
=Perfect game=
In Major League Baseball (MLB), a perfect game occurs when a pitcher faces and retires the minimum number of opposing batters – 27 across nine innings without any batter safely reaching first base. While a no-hitter may allow opposing batters to reach base on a walk, hit by pitch, uncaught third strike, fielder's choice, or error, none of these occur in a perfect game.{{cite news |last=Rivera |first=Joe |title=What is a perfect game in baseball? All-time list and more to know about MLB pitchers' most exclusive club |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/perfect-game-baseball-list-mlb-pitchers/xgfbwu58mld1n7ph4zvqsnjn |work=The Sporting News |date=June 30, 2023 |access-date=September 27, 2023}} Pitching a perfect game is one of the rarest feats in baseball, with only 24 instances officially recognized by MLB since 1876.{{cite news |last=Simon |first=Andrew |title=A look at all 24 perfect games in AL/NL history |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/all-time-perfect-games |work=MLB.com |publisher=MLB Advanced Media |date=June 29, 2023 |access-date=September 27, 2023}} Prior to Germán's perfect game, the most recent occurrence was almost 11 years prior, on August 15, 2012, when Félix Hernández of the Seattle Mariners pitched one against the Tampa Bay Rays.{{cite news |title=Domingo German authors perfect game as Yankees top Athletics |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/37931584/domingo-german-authors-perfect-game-yankees-top-athletics |work=ESPN |date=June 29, 2023 |access-date=September 27, 2023}}
=Domingo Germán=
Domingo Germán made his MLB debut with the New York Yankees in 2017,{{cite news |last=Hoch |first=Bryan |title=German sent down after solid MLB debut |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/yanks-domingo-german-makes-debut-sent-down-c235750878 |work=MLB.com |publisher=MLB Advanced Media |date=June 11, 2017 |access-date=September 29, 2023}} and by the 2019 season, he had joined the team's regular starting rotation.{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Randy |title=How Yankees' Domingo German has emerged as ace of injury-riddled rotation |url=https://www.nj.com/yankees/2019/05/how-yankees-domingo-german-has-emerged-as-ace-of-injury-riddled-rotation.html |work=The Star-Ledger |date=May 14, 2019 |access-date=September 29, 2023}} In January 2020, MLB suspended Germán for 81 games under the league's domestic violence policy, which caused him to miss the entirety of the pandemic-shortened season. He struggled with shoulder injuries during the next two seasons, but returned partway through 2022 and ended the year with a 2–5 win–loss record and 3.61 earned run average (ERA) in 16 games (15 starts).{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Randy |title=How Yankees' Domingo German saved his family and career after domestic violence {{!}} 'Everything was a mess' |url=https://www.nj.com/yankees/2023/02/how-yankees-domingo-german-saved-his-family-and-career-after-domestic-violence-everything-was-a-mess.html |work=The Star-Ledger |date=February 25, 2023 |access-date=September 29, 2023}} By 2023, the Yankees did not see Germán as a regular starter until other pitchers in the organization were sidelined by injury.{{cite news |last=Kepner |first=Tyler |title=Domingo Germán Proves Perfection Can Come at Any Time |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/29/sports/baseball/perfect-game-domingo-german-larsen.html |work=The New York Times |date=June 29, 2023 |access-date=September 29, 2023 |url-access=limited}}
Germán struggled in the lead-up to his perfect game, entering his start with a 4–5 record and 5.10 ERA.{{cite news |last1=Evans |first1=Jace |last2=Lacques |first2=Gabe |title=Yankees' Domingo Germán throws MLB's first perfect game since 2012 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/yankees/2023/06/29/domingo-german-perfect-game-yankees-athletics/70367566007/ |work=USA Today |date=June 29, 2023 |access-date=September 29, 2023}} After being warned about MLB's policy on sticky substances in April,{{cite news |last=Blum |first=Ronald |title=Germán leads Yankees over Twins 6-1 after sticky stuff flap |url=https://apnews.com/article/yankees-twins-german-baldelli-sticky-stuff-8912aa82afa8fa7b155cabcb29c04e94 |agency=Associated Press |date=April 15, 2023 |access-date=September 29, 2023}} he was suspended for 10 games in May under a violation of that same policy.{{cite news |last=Ragazzo |first=Pat |title=Yankees' Domingo German Ejected for Sticky Substance, Gets 10-Game Suspension |url=https://www.si.com/mlb/yankees/news/yankees-domingo-german-ejected-for-sticky-substance-facing-10-game-suspension#gid=ci02bf6f2a2000271d&pid=usatsi_20678635 |work=Sports Illustrated |date=May 18, 2023 |access-date=September 29, 2023}} On June 16,
Germán lasted only two innings against the Boston Red Sox, allowing seven earned runs in the process, and on June 22, the start before his perfect game, he was booed off the pitcher's mound after giving up a career-high 10 runs in {{frac|3|1|3}} innings against the Seattle Mariners.{{cite news |last=Fitzpatrick |first=Mike |title=Mariners hammer struggling Germán as Woo gets his 1st win in a 10-2 rout of the Yankees |url=https://apnews.com/article/mariners-yankees-woo-hernandez-wong-62f2262136ea4b58e7b3cd2154eb2564 |agency=Associated Press |date=June 22, 2023 |access-date=September 29, 2023}}{{cite news |last=Vautour |first=Matt |title=Yankees' Domingo Germán throws MLB's 24th perfect game in history |url=https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2023/06/yankees-domingo-german-throws-mlbs-24th-perfect-game-in-history.html |work=The Republican |location=Springfield, MA |date=June 29, 2023 |access-date=September 29, 2023}}
Game
Germán threw 99 pitches (thereby making it a Maddux),{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/domingo-german-perfect-game-facts-and-figures |title=13 things you need to know about Germán's perfect game |first1=Brent |last1=Maguire |first2=Manny |last2=Randhawa |first3=Shanthi |last3=Sepe-Chepuru |first4=Sarah |last4=Langs |work=MLB.com |date=June 28, 2023 |accessdate=June 30, 2023 |archive-date=June 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629065227/https://www.mlb.com/news/domingo-german-perfect-game-facts-and-figures |url-status=live }} including 51 curveballs. He struck out nine batters.{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/sports/baseball/yankees-domingo-german-fires-perfect-game-vs-as-2023-06-29/ | title=Yankees' Domingo German fires perfect game vs. A's | newspaper=Reuters | date=June 29, 2023 | last1=Media | first1=Field Level | accessdate=June 28, 2023 | archive-date=June 29, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629054614/https://www.reuters.com/sports/baseball/yankees-domingo-german-fires-perfect-game-vs-as-2023-06-29/ | url-status=live }}{{cite web | url=https://apnews.com/article/perfect-game-german-yankees-c0370bdb991a55556715aa99ae92058b | title=Yankees pitcher Domingo Germán throws perfect game against Oakland A's, the 24th in MLB history | website=Associated Press | date=June 29, 2023 | access-date=June 29, 2023 | archive-date=June 29, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629054614/https://apnews.com/article/perfect-game-german-yankees-c0370bdb991a55556715aa99ae92058b | url-status=live }} Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka, who had also caught a no-hitter thrown by Corey Kluber in 2021, said after the game, "I was a passenger for this one ... Domingo was definitely driving the ship."{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/domingo-german-perfect-game-vs-athletics|title=Germán delivers MLB's 1st perfect game since 2012|first=Sonja|last=Chen|work=MLB.com|date=June 29, 2023|accessdate=June 29, 2023|archive-date=June 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629042133/https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/domingo-german-perfect-game-vs-athletics|url-status=live}} The New York Yankees scored 11 runs, surpassing the 10 runs scored by the San Francisco Giants in Matt Cain's perfect game in 2012 for the most run support ever in a perfect game. The game ended as Esteury Ruiz grounded to third baseman Josh Donaldson, who threw to first baseman Anthony Rizzo to record the final out.
Germán recorded his 500th career strikeout during the game. It was the fourth perfect game in Yankees history, after games thrown by Don Larsen in 1956, by David Wells in 1998, and David Cone in 1999. As the Yankees would fail to make the postseason in 2023, it marked the first time a Yankees pitcher threw a perfect game and they didn't proceed to win the World Series. It was the first perfect game in MLB since Félix Hernández's perfect game on August 15, 2012, the first since the implementation of the pitch clock, and the first thrown by a pitcher from the Dominican Republic.{{cite web | url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/domingo-german-achieves-24th-perfect-game-in-mlb-history-giving-yankees-most-ever-with-four/live/ | title=Domingo German achieves 24th perfect game in MLB history, giving Yankees most ever with four | date=June 29, 2023 | accessdate=June 28, 2023 | archive-date=June 29, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629054613/https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/domingo-german-achieves-24th-perfect-game-in-mlb-history-giving-yankees-most-ever-with-four/live/ | url-status=live }}
There were 12,479 fans in attendance for the game at Oakland Coliseum, with many fans favoring the Yankees. The game was televised locally on the YES Network and NBC Sports California.{{cite news|url = https://thecomeback.com/mlb/yankees-domingo-german-unbelievable-perfect-game.html|title = Yankees star throws unbelievable perfect game; MLB world reacts|last = Shipley|first = Reice|date = June 29, 2023|accessdate = June 29, 2023|work = The Comeback|archive-date = June 29, 2023|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230629050219/https://thecomeback.com/mlb/yankees-domingo-german-unbelievable-perfect-game.html|url-status = live}} Dallas Braden, a former Athletics pitcher who pitched a perfect game in 2010, was the Athletics' color commentator on NBC Sports California. Ryan Ruocco, substituting for Michael Kay, called the game on the YES Network, while Justin Shackil, substituting for John Sterling, called the play-by-play on WFAN.{{cite web|url=https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/domingo-german-perfect-game-tv-radio-calls-cql4yal9|title=Perfect pals: Longtime friends Ryan Ruocco and Justin Shackil called Domingo German's perfect game|work=Newsday|first=Neil|last=Best|date=June 29, 2023|accessdate=June 29, 2023|archive-date=June 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629135547/https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/domingo-german-perfect-game-tv-radio-calls-cql4yal9|url-status=live}}
Game statistics
{{Linescore|
|Date = June 28, 2023
|Location = Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California
|Road=New York Yankees (44–36)|RoadAbr=NYY
|R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=1|R5=6|R6=0|R7=1|R8=0|R9=3|RR=11|RH=11|RE=0
|Home=Oakland Athletics (21–61)|HomeAbr=OAK
|H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=0|H8=0|H9=0|HR=0|HH=0|HE=3
|WP=Domingo Germán (5–5)|LP=JP Sears (1–6)
|RoadHR= Giancarlo Stanton (7) |HomeHR=
|}}
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-break}}
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+Hitting !New York !AB !R !H !RBI !BB !SO !AVG |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|DJ|LeMahieu}}, 2B
|5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0 |.226 |
|---|
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Gleyber|Torres}}, DH
|4 |1 |0 |0 |1 |2 |.246 |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Anthony|Rizzo}}, 1B
|4 |2 |0 |0 |1 |1 |.268 |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Giancarlo|Stanton}}, RF
|3 |1 |2 |3 |1 |1 |.197 |
| scope="row" | {{sortname|Oswaldo|Cabrera}}, PR
|1 |2 |1 |0 |0 |0 |.193 |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Harrison|Bader}}, CF
|5 |1 |2 |0 |0 |1 |.252 |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Josh|Donaldson}}, 3B
|4 |0 |1 |2 |0 |3 |.139 |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Isiah|Kiner-Falefa}}, LF
|3 |1 |1 |2 |2 |0 |.241 |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Kyle|Higashioka}}, C
|5 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0 |.211 |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Anthony|Volpe}}, SS
|4 |1 |2 |0 |0 |0 |.208 |
| class="sortbottom"
!scope="row"|Totals |38 |11 |11 |9 |5 |8 |.218 |
= Batting =
- 2B: Donaldson (1, Long); Higashioka (7, Sears); Bader (3, Sears); Volpe (10, Fujinami)
- HR: Stanton (7, 4th inning off Sears 0 on, 2 Out)
- RBI: Donaldson 2 (11), Higashioka (19), Stanton 3 (17), LeMahieu (26), Kiner-Falefa 2 (19)
- 2-Out RBI: Stanton, Kiner-Falefa
- SF: Donaldson
- GIDP: Kiner-Falefa
- Team LOB: 6
- Team RISP: 5-for-17.
= Baserunning =
- SB: Volpe (16, 3rd base off Sears/Langeliers)
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+Pitching !New York !IP !H !R !ER !BB !SO !HR !ERA |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Domingo|Germán}} (W, 5–5)
|9 |0 |0 |0 |0 |9 |0 |4.54 |
|---|
| class="sortbottom"
!scope="row"|Totals |9 |0 |0 |0 |0 |9 |0 |4.54 |
{{Col-break}}
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+Hitting !Oakland !AB !R !H !RBI !BB !SO !AVG |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Tony|Kemp|dab=baseball}}, 2B
|3 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |.179 |
|---|
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Ryan|Noda}}, 1B
|3 |0 |0 |0 |0 |3 |.232 |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Brent|Rooker}}, LF
|3 |0 |0 |0 |0 |2 |.236 |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Carlos|Pérez|dab=catcher, born 1990}}, DH
|3 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |.235 |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Seth|Brown|dab=baseball}}, RF
|3 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |.187 |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Jonah|Bride}}, 3B
|3 |0 |0 |0 |0 |2 |.200 |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Aledmys|Díaz}}, SS
|3 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |.201 |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Shea|Langeliers}}, C
|3 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |.198 |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Esteury|Ruiz}}, CF
|3 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |.260 |
| class="sortbottom"
!scope="row"|Totals |27 |0 |0 |0 |0 |9 |.214 |
= Fielding =
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+Pitching !Oakland !IP !H !R !ER !BB !SO !HR !ERA |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|JP|Sears|dab=baseball}} (L, 1–6)
|4 |5 |7 |5 |3 |5 |1 |4.43 |
|---|
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Shintaro|Fujinami}}
|2 |0 |0 |0 |0 |2 |0 |10.04 |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Yacksel|Ríos}}
|0 |0 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0 |37.80 |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Austin|Pruitt}}
|2 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |3.51 |
| scope="row" |{{sortname|Sam|Long|dab=baseball}}
|1 |2 |3 |3 |1 |1 |0 |3.82 |
| class="sortbottom"
!scope="row"|Totals |9 |11 |11 |9 |5 |8 |1 |11.92 |
{{Col-end}}
=Other statistics=
- WP: Fujinami.
- Pitches-strikes: Germán 99–72; Sears 92–55; Fujinami 30–18; Ríos, Y 3–0; Pruitt 20–13; Long 33–21.
- Groundouts-flyouts: Germán 8–7; Sears 2–2; Fujinami 0–0; Ríos, Y 0–0; Pruitt 4–1; Long 2–0.
- Batters faced: Germán 27; Sears 21; Fujinami 9; Ríos, Y 1; Pruitt 6; Long 7.
- Inherited runners-scored: Fujinami 3–3; Pruitt 1–1.{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/gameday/yankees-vs-athletics/2023/06/28/717579/final/box |title=Boxscore: New York Yankees at Oakland Athletics |website=MLB.com |access-date=June 28, 2023 |archive-date=June 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629061333/https://www.mlb.com/gameday/yankees-vs-athletics/2023/06/28/717579/final/box |url-status=live }}
Other information
Alexandra Irving became the first woman in Major League Baseball history to be an official scorer for any perfect game with this game.https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/athletics/article/bay-area-woman-becomes-first-mlb-history-score-18180219.php
See also
{{Portal|Baseball}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{MLB perfect games}}
{{New York Yankees}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:German's, Domingo, perfect game}}
Category:2023 in sports in California
Category:2023 Major League Baseball season
Category:2020s in Oakland, California
Category:June 2023 sports events in the United States