$\"Dave$ <\/a>
Dave Stieb, flirted with history multiple times.,<\/p><\/div>\n
On August 4, 1989, the Blue Jays Dave Stieb took a 2-0 lead and a perfect game into the ninth inning against the Yankees. Stieb started the inning as though ready to make history, striking out pinch hitters Hal Morris and Ken Phelps on nine pitches.\u00a0 Then the number-nine hitter, center fielder Roberto Kelly, broke up the \u201cperfecto\u201d and the no-hitter with a double to left.\u00a0 Second baseman Steve Sax followed with a run-scoring single, before left fielder Polonia grounded out to end the game. \u00a0So, Stieb lost the perfect game, the no-hitter and the shutout \u2013 but did get the win.<\/p>\n
This one was especially painful because, just one season year earlier, Stieb had been on the mound one strike away from a no-hitter twice<\/em><\/strong> (in consecutive starts) \u2013 producing nearly identical, disappointing results. On September 24 (against the Indians) and September 30 (versus the Orioles), he lost no-hitters with two outs in the ninth inning and two strikes on the hitter (2 and 2 counts both times). \u00a0Stieb did get two complete-game shutouts, 1-0 over the Indians and 4-0 over the Orioles. The games were his final two starts of the 1988 season, so he had the entire off-season to contemplate his bad luck.<\/p>\n
Stieb finally recorded a no-hitter on September 2, 1990. \u00a0Stieb, by the way, was a seven-time All Star, who won 176 games in 16 seasons.<\/p>\n
Ron Robinson, Reds<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
Reds\u2019 right-hander Ron Robinson was one strike away from a perfect game on May 2, 1988. He had a 3-0 lead, two outs in the ninth, nary a base run allowed and a 2-2 count on Expos\u2019 pinch hitter Wallace Johnson \u2013 and then hung a curveball that Johnson hit for a single. Tim Raines followed with a two-run home run, and Red\u2019s closer Joh Franco was brought in to get the final out.\u00a0 So, on the verge of a perfect game (with two out and two strikes in the ninth), Robinson lost the no-hitter, the shutout and the complete game. In his nine MLB seasons, Robinson recorded just eight complete games and two shutouts \u2013 but had a respectable 48-39 record, with a 3.63 ERA and 19 saves.<\/p>\n
Here are the other pitchers who lost perfect games with two outs in the ninth:<\/strong><\/p>\n
Tommy Bridges, Tigers<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
On August 5, 1932, the Tigers\u2019 Tommy Bridges gave up a single to Washington Senators\u2019 pinch-hitter Dave Harris after retiring the first 26 batters. \u00a0Bridges then got the final out for a 13-0 win. Bridges went 194-138, 3.57 with 200 complete games in 16 MLB seasons.<\/p>\n
Billy Pierce, White Sox<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
On June 27, 1958, the White Sox\u2019 Billy Pierce retired the first 26 hitters he faced and then gave up a double to Washington Senators\u2019 pinch hitter Ed Fitz Gerald before striking out AL 1958 Rookie of the Year Albie Pearson to gain a 3-0 win. Pierce, a southpaw, was a seven-time All Star and two-time twenty-game winner. He won 211 games in 18 MLB seasons.<\/p>\n
Milt Wilcox, Tigers<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth \u2013 in an early season game (April 15, 1983) – the Tigers\u2019 Milt Wilcox had yet to allow a White Sox hitter to reach base (and had struck out eight). Pinch hitter Jerry Hairston ended that with his first hit of the season \u2013 a clean single. Wilcox retired the next batter (CF Rudy Law) for a 6-0 (one-hitter) win. Wilcox won 119 games (113 losses) in 18 MLB seasons.<\/p>\n
Brian Holman, Mariners<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
One April 20, 1990, the Mariners\u2019 Brian Holman retired the first 26 hitters, shutting down the defending World Champion Oakland A\u2019s, before giving up a first-pitch home run to pinch hitter Ken Phelps. It was, notably, Phelps only home run of the 1990 season and the last of his 123 career round trippers. Holman then struck out Rickey Henderson for the final out in a 6-1 Mariners\u2019 win. \u00a0It was one of only two complete games in Holman’s four MLB seasons (37-45, 3.71).<\/p>\n
Mike Mussina, Yankees<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
$\"Mike$ <\/a>
Mike Mussina notched 270 MLB wins.<\/p><\/div>\n
On September 2, 2001, the Yankees\u2019 Mike Mussina squared off against the rival Red Sox at Fenway Park. After eight innings, Mussina and Red Sox starter David Cone were locked in a 0-0 duel. Mussina was hadn\u2019t allowed a base runner, striking out twelve. Cone had given up just four hits and three walks (fanning eight), while holding New York scoreless.\u00a0 The Yankees pushed across a run in the top of the ninth and Mussina went to work on his perfect game \u2013 notching a ground out (pinch hitter Troy O\u2019Leary) and a strikeout (2B Lou Merloni) and taking pinch hitter Carl Everett to a 1-2 count before Everett singled to left. Mussina retired Trot Nixon for the final out, in a 1-0 one-hit win.<\/p>\n
Yu Darvish, Rangers<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
On April 2, 2013, Rangers\u2019 Ace Yu Darvish stifled the Astros without a baser runner for 8 2\/3 innings \u2013 fanning 14. All he had to do to gain perfection was retire the Rangers’ number-nine hitter, light-hitting shortstop Marwin Gonzalez. Gonzalez hit Darvish’s first pitch up the middle \u2013 through Darvish\u2019s legs \u2013 for a single. It was Darvish’s 111^{th<\/sup> pitch and he was relieved by Michael Kirkman, who finished off the 7-0 win.<\/p>\n}
So, there are your pitches who got within one out of perfection, but couldn\u2019t quite close the deal. Now, I\u2019d like to add two honorable mentions. \u00a0A no-hitter truly \u201clost\u201d with two outs in ninth inning of a World Series’ game and a perfect game lost in the 13^{th<\/sup> inning.<\/p>\n}
Bill Bevens – A Near Fall Classic No-Hitter<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
On October 3, 1947, Yankees\u2019 right-hander Bill Bevens was on the verge of World Series’ history.\u00a0 Bevens went into the ninth with a 2-1 lead over the Dodgers and had yet to yield a hit (the Dodgers had scored one run in the fifth inning on two walks, a sacrifice bunt and a fielder\u2019s choice). Bevens sandwiched a fly out and foul out around a walk to Dodgers\u2019 center fielder Cal Furillo (Bevens\u2019 ninth walk of the game) and was just one out from a World Series’ win and no-hitter.\u00a0 That\u2019s when the wheels came off. The dangerous Pete Reiser was sent in to pinch hit for pitcher Hugh Casey.\u00a0 Al Gionfriddo, pinch-running for Furillo, stole second and Reiser was walked intentionally \u2013 putting runners on first and second with two outs, the Yankees still with a one-run lead, the no-hitter intact and Cookie Lavagetto pinch hitting for Eddie Stanky (Eddie Miksis was also brought in to run for Reiser). Lavagetto doubled to right on Bevens\u2019 second pitch, both runners scored and Bevens lost the no-hitter and the game.<\/p>\n
Harvey Haddix – 12 Perfect Innings – For the Los<\/strong><\/span>s<\/p>\n
$\"Haddix\"$ <\/a>For a real hard luck story, there\u2019s the Pittsburgh Pirates\u2019 Harvey Haddix (who is not even on the \u201clost a perfect game or no-hitter in the bottom of the ninth\u201d list).\u00a0 On May 26, 1959, Haddix took the mound against the powerhouse Milwaukee Braves (who had won the National League pennant the previous two seasons and came into the game again leading the league).\u00a0 Haddix retired the first 36 hitters in order, carrying a perfect game into the bottom of the 13th.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the Braves\u2019 Lew Burdette, despite giving up 12 hits and fanning only two, had held the Pirates scoreless. Felix Mantilla led off the 13th by reaching on error by Pirates\u2019 third baseman Don Hoak. Slugger Eddie Mathews bunted Mantilla over to second, which led to an intentional walk to Hank Aaron, bringing up Joe Adcock. Adcock rapped a 1-0 pitch over the right field fence for what appeared to be a three-run home run.\u00a0 However, the Braves, in celebrating the tension-filled victory, forgot how to run the bases. Adcock passed Aaron between second and third and, after some deliberation, Adcock was called out \u2013 changing his three-run homer to a one-run double. So, despite 12 perfect innings, Haddix lost the no-hitter, the shutout and the game itself.\u00a0 But he did etch his name forever into baseball lore.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
BBRT UPDATE (events since this was first posted.)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
One September 6, 2013, the San Francisco Giants’ Yusmeiro Petit joined the unlucky “almost perfect” rotation. With two out in the ninth, Petit – with a 3-0 lead over the Diamondbacks – had retired all 26 batters he had faced, fanning seven. \u00a0The \u00a0Diamondbacks sent up pinch hitter Eric Chavez, who worked the count full. Then, just one strike away from perfection, Petit gave up a single to right field. \u00a0Petit retired the next hitter CF\/leadoff hitter A.J. Pollock on a grounder to third – settling for a one-hit shutout. \u00a0This made Petit the second pitcher name “Yu” to get within one out of a “perfecto” during the 2013 season. \u00a0(See Yu Darvish above.)<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I tweet baseball @ DavidBBRT<\/strong><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Last night (June 20), Nationals\u2019 right-hander and 2013 AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer came within one out \u2013 within one strike actually \u2013 of pitching the 24th perfect game in major league history. He entered the top of the ninth with a 6-0 lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates \u2013 having retired the first […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n