Big Unit up to something..... [Randy Johnson pitches a perfect game vs. Atlanta 5/18/04]

Also worth noting another pitching duel at Wrigley: Schmidt vs. Clement. 1-0 Giants in the top of the 8th.

May 18, 2004

DATE            PITCHER, TEAM             SCORE    OPPONENT
  ====            =============             =====    ========
  May 18, 2004    RANDY JOHNSON, ARIZONA     2-0     at Atlanta
  July 18, 1999   DAVID CONE, NY YANKEES     6-0     Montreal
  May 17, 1998    DAVID WELLS, NY YANKEES    4-0     Minnesota
  July 28, 1994   KENNY ROGERS, TEXAS        4-0     California
  July 28, 1991   Dennis Martinez, Montreal  2-0     at Los Angeles
  Sept. 16, 1988  TOM BROWNING, CINCINNATI   1-0     Los Angeles
  Sept. 30, 1984  Mike Witt, California      1-0     at Texas
  May 15, 1981    LEN BARKER, CLEVELAND      3-0     Toronto
  May 8, 1968     JIM HUNTER, OAKLAND        4-0     Minnesota
  Sept. 9, 1965   SANDY KOUFAX, LOS ANGELES  1-0     Chicago Cubs
  June 21, 1964   Jim Bunning, Philadelphia  6-0     at New York Mets
  Oct. 8, 1956    x-DON LARSEN, NY YANKEES   2-0     Brooklyn
  Apr. 30, 1922   Charlie Robertson, Chicago 2-0     at Detroit
  Oct. 2, 1908    ADDIE JOSS, CLEVELAND      1-0     Chicago
  May 5, 1904     CY YOUNG, BOSTON           3-0     Philadelphia
  (x - World Series)

The Big Unit now has two no-no's; one in each league like Nolan Ryan, Cy Young and of all people Hideo Nomo.

Granted, these were Braves fans, so they may have just been attracted to the fair weather on the mound, but still...

Baseball!

Let me introduce you to some Arizona Cardinals fans.

Is Nomo the John Daly of the Major League Baseball?

(whew, i had the day shift today)

some notes from the box score:

Pitches-strikes - R Johnson 117-87; M Hampton 107-71.
Ground balls-fly balls - R Johnson 7-7; M Hampton 14-8.
Batters faced - R Johnson 27; M Hampton 38.

Game Details
Time: 2:13.
Attendance: 23,381.
Weather: 73 degrees, cloudy.
Wind: 5 mph, out to center.
Game Notes
ARIZONA PITCHER RANDY JOHNSON HAS SEVEN STRIKEOUTS THROUGH FOUR INNINGS.
ARIZONA PITCHER RANDY JOHNSON HAS A PERFECT GAME THROUGH FIVE INNINGS, INCLUDING SEVEN STRIKEOUTS.
ARIZONA PITCHER RANDY JOHNSON HAS A PERFECT GAME THROUGH SIX INNINGS, INCLUDING EIGHT STRIKEOUTS.
ATLANTA'S JESSE GARCIA STRUCK OUT FOR THE FIRST OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE SEVENTH INNING. ARIZONA'S RANDY JOHNSON HAS A PERFECT GAME THROUGH 6 1/3 INNINGS.
ATLANTA'S JULIO FRANCO GROUNDED OUT FOR THE SECOND OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE SEVENTH INNING. ARIZONA'S RANDY JOHNSON HAS A PERFECT GAME THROUGH 6 2/3 INNINGS.
ATLANTA'S CHIPPER JONES STRUCK OUT SWINGING FOR THE THIRD OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE SEVENTH INNING. ARIZONA'S RANDY JOHNSON HAS A PERFECT GAME THROUGH SEVEN INNINGS, INCLUDING 10 STRIKEOUTS.
ATLANTA'S ANDRUW JONES FLIED OUT FOR THE FIRST OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE EIGHTH INNING. ARIZONA'S RANDY JOHNSON HAS A PERFECT GAME THROUGH 7 1/3 INNINGS.
ATLANTA'S JOHNNY ESTRADA STRUCK OUT SWINGING FOR THE SECOND OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE EIGHTH INNING. ARIZONA'S RANDY JOHNSON HAS A PERFECT GAME THROUGH 7 2/3 INNINGS.
ATLANTA'S J.D. DREW GROUNDED OUT FOR THE THIRD OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE EIGHTH INNING. ARIZONA'S RANDY JOHNSON HAS A PERFECT GAME THROUGH EIGHT INNINGS, INCLUDING 11 STRIKEOUTS.

What a great night of pitching:

Randy Johnson: perfect game
Jason Schmidt: 1 hitter
even Clement and Hampton's losing efforts were season highlights.
Plus: Angels 1, Yankees 0 (11th)

But poor Schmidt, what bad timing for a game like this. But he had a couple other bouts of bad luck in the game. He allowed three baserunners but it's pretty interesting: he walked Alou in the 4th (so there goes the perfect game), Clement got on via a dropped 3rd strike (beating the throw by a half-step)... so how did Michael Barrett, the lone hit, get on?:

With two outs in the fifth, Schmidt thought he got Barrett on a called strike. But plate umpire Tim McClelland called it a ball, giving Barrett one more chance.

"I thought it was a strike at the time," Schmidt said. "It was a close one. It's going to be one of those you think of the rest of your life."

On the next pitch, Barrett hit a grounder just inside the third-base line. Edgardo Alfonzo scrambled for the ball, but Barrett beat his throw to first by a couple of steps.

but damn, 144 pitches. Happy Ice-Pack. Maybe Alou was trying to show-up Dusty.

I've heard everything from 14 to 17 perfect games... One of those in the list was a 5-inning rainout, yes? Barker or Witt?

I remember some dope (Yankee fan, natcherly) at a 2001 Series party arguing that RJ wasn't a HOFer. He's eclipsed the likes of Koufax easily, careerwise.

Schmidt (4-2) had thrown 123 and 122 pitches in his previous two outings.

"I'm building my arm strength to 200," he said.