Philip Humber has tossed a perfect game as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Seattle Mariners, 4-0, on Saturday at Safeco Field.
The 29-year-old right-hander needed just 80 pitches to get through eight innings, throwing 57 strikes as he sat down the first 24 batters to step in against him.
Humber opened up the bottom of the ninth by falling behind Michael Saunders, 3-0, but recovered to strike him out. John Jaso flied out for the second out. Standing between Humber and history? Brendan Ryan. Humber got him on a wild third strike that may be debated. Ryan tried to check his swing but the home umpire didn't think he had stopped his bat. The ball skipped away from Sox catcher A. J. Pierzynski, who quickly went after it. Ryan made a half effort to get to first but the throw was always going to beat him to the bag. 27 up 27 down.
“I mean, I can’t even put it into words,” Humber told FOX on the field after the game, per Scott Powers of ESPNChicago. “I’m just so happy. There are so many good things happening right now. This just adds to the list. God is so good.”
This is the 21st perfect game in MLB history, according to the Chicago White Sox. Humber's perfecto is the third perfect game in White Sox history. According to The Associated Press, Humber joins Mark Buehrle (vs. Tampa Bay on July 23, 2009) and Charles Robertson (vs. Detroit on April 30, 1922) as South Side pitchers to set down the opponent in order through nine.
Humber needed 96 pitches (67 strikes) to make history. Economical on the mound, Humber never needed more than 14 pitches (2nd inning) to get through a single frame, per Josh Liebeskind at MLB.com.
Humber was drafted with the third overall selection in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft by the New York Mets, who incidentally have never had a no-hitter in franchise history. While working his way up through the minors, Humber suffered an elbow injury and underwent Tommy John Surgery. After getting cups of coffee with the Mets during the 2006 and 2007 seasons, Humber was a key component of the trade with the Minnesota Twins that brought Johan Santana to Queens. Humber regressed with the Twins, seeing little action at the Major League level during the next two seasons. He became a free agent after the 2009 season. After failing to make much of an impression with the Royals during the 2010 season, Humber was claimed off waivers by the Oakland A's. After landing on the waiver wire yet again, Humber found himself a new home on the South Side of Chicago.
Pitching for the White Sox, Humber started to flash some of the potential that made him a college standout and inspired the Mets to select him so high in the draft. Humber made 26 starts in 2011, finishing the season with a 9-9 record and 3.75 ERA. In his first start of 2012, Humber scuffled through 5.1 against the Orioles, walking away with a no-decision in a game that Chicago would ultimately lose in extras, 10-4. To that point, Humber had never lasted into the ninth inning of any game that he started, per Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.
In his next outing, on a Saturday in Seattle, Humber was perfect.