Don Larson, David Wells, David Cone, and now....Domingo German! This was the 24th perfect game in MLB history, and the 4th for the New York Yankees History.
Don Larson threw the only perfect game (or no hitter) in World Series history, David Wells and Cone were both huge drinkers, and Domingo German....beat his wife! Makes you think what it takes to throw one of these.
It was the first perfect game since Seattle Mariners ace Félix Hernández threw one against the Tampa Bay Rays on Aug. 15, 2012, in which there were two other perfect games that season.
“So exciting,” Germán said through a translator. “When you think about something very unique in baseball, not many people have an opportunity to pitch a perfect game. To accomplish something like this in my career is something that I’m going to remember forever.”
German has looked bad his last two starts, allowing 17 runs (5 home runs) in 5.1 innings. Before that the 30-year-old pitcher served a 10-game suspension last month after getting ejected from a game in Toronto for using an illegal sticky substance on the mound. He was also banned 81 (18 games in 2019/63 in 2020) games by Major League Baseball earlier in his career over an alleged domestic violence incident.
I am going to be honest....I fell asleep after the 5th inning. Despite being winless in six previous outings against Oakland, Germán threw 72 of 99 pitches for strikes. He mixed 51 curveballs and 30 fastballs that averaged 92.5 mph with 17 changeups and one sinker. 2 seasons ago, German had a no hitter into the 8th inning against the Boston Red Sox, but wasn't able to close it out and let up a hit to Alex Verdugo.
The talent has always been there with German, it has been the consistency and the ups and down he has come across over these last six seasons. Seth Brown came the closest to reaching base for the A’s, hitting a sharp grounder in the fifth inning to first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who made a diving stop and tossed to Germán for the out. Which this was right before I went to sleep, I figured "eh fuck it this will get ruined next inning".
“That last inning was very different — very different. I felt an amount of pressure that I’ve never felt before,” Germán said. “I’m trying to visualize what I want to execute there. At the same time, I don’t want to miss. So much pressure, but yet so rewarding.
Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka, who caught Germans perfect game, as well as Corey Klubers no hitter in 2021, said this post game “I’m just happy for Domingo. He’s had a rough last couple starts and he’s kind of been dragging a little bit,”. “I kind of always felt like of anyone, he has a really good chance to do something like this and for it all to come together tonight is just amazing.”
I am hopeful that this can spark something for the Yankees as the MLB is approaching the All-Star break and will finish out the first half of the season against teams with losing records.
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