Cain Perfect Game - Dickey One-Hitter* - Davis Broken Bat HR Highlight Incredible Night

Last night, fans across baseball had the opportunity to witness a perfect game, a one-hitter (which could end up being a no-hitter) and a broken-bat home run.

On June 14, 2012, Matt Cain did something that Juan Marichal, Christy Mathewson, Carl Hubbell and Gaylord Perry were unable to do during their illustrious careers.  Cain pitched the first perfect game in Giants history -- the 22nd in major league history  -- besting the Houston Astros 10-0.  He also struck out 14 batters, which matches the most for a perfect game, a record which was set by Sandy Koufax in 1965.  

Cain's perfecto was aided by two tremendous plays in the field, most notably, a Gregor Blanco diving catch in the 7th inning on a ball that had no business being caught.  

Not only was he aided by his defense, he was also afforded a little luck on two defining plays that helped to secure the perfect game.

The first break occurred in the fourth inning when a ridiculously close fair/foul call was ruled foul... I've watched the replay  a dozen times and I still don't know whether it was the right call.  I'm definitely ok with the umpire's call on the field; it's honestly one of the closest fair/foul calls I've ever seen.  

The second stroke of luck happened in the sixth when the wind knocked down a "sure-thing" home run ball to left field by Astros' Chris Snyder.  Andres Torres, who was playing center field and watching the play, said that, from his vantage point, the ball was ten rows out and made a banana loop back into the field of play (you can actually see the fortuitous flight of the ball on the replay).  Melky Cabrera made a great grab on the warning track and the 42,000 Giants fans in attendance exhaled all at once.

When asked about the tremendous plays in the field and the wind-aided pop out, Astros' Chris Snyder put it best, "As long as I've been playing in this park -- and back to 2003, I've played here every year -- I've never seen a ball hit like that into the gap and have a play made on it like that.  At that point, you think, 'Yeah, it's his night."  

It sure what Cain's night.

Nearly three-thousand miles away in Tampa Bay, R.A. Dickey was writing another chapter in his book of wizardry.  The reformed knuckle-baller threw a one-hit complete game (no earned runs) en route to a 9-1 victory over the Rays.  The only hit came in the first inning on a soft grounder to third baseman David Wright by B.J. Upton.  Wright attempted to bare hand the ball, perhaps rushing the play knowing that Upton can fly, and couldn't come up with it.  The official scoring on the play was a hit; Upton's speed played into the official scoring decision but the reply shows that Upton didn't exactly bust his way out of the box (his gargantuan swing sort of halted his momentum).  In my opinion, the play should have been scored as an "E5."  With the benefit of hindsight and instant replay, Wright probably did not need to rush the play as he did; I think that he would have had time had he made the play with his glove.  To his defense, that's probably the toughest call to make for a third baseman to make (to bare hand or not to bare hand) and unfortunately for Dickey, the Tampa Bay scorer did not feel the same way as I did and the play was ruled a hit.  Mets manager Terry Collins has appealed the ruling so there is a slim chance that R.A. Dickey could become the second pitcher in Mets history (and in the past ten days) to throw a no-hitter.  Dickey also ran up his scoreless innings streak to 32 2/3 innings before losing that in the ninth on (ironically) a David Wright error.  If David Wright makes those two plays, Dickey throws a perfect game. 

And finally, how strong is Baltimore Orioles' 1B/DH Chris Davis?  Strong enough to kill a ball, a bat and nearly kill his teammates with one swing... these two GIF's show you Davis' broken-bat home run.