Yankees’ Germán hurls perfect game to beat A’s 8-0

Published 1:20 am Thursday, June 29, 2023

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Domingo Germán of the New York Yankees pitched the 24th perfect game in major league history Wednesday night, retiring every Oakland batter in an 11-0 victory over the Athletics.

It was the first perfect game since Seattle Mariners ace Félix Hernández threw one against the Tampa Bay Rays on Aug. 15, 2012. There were three that season — but none since until Germán finished the first no-hitter in the big leagues this year.

He joined Don Larsen (1956), David Wells (1998) and David Cone (1999) as Yankees pitchers to throw perfect games. Larsen’s gem came in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

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Coming off a pair of terrible starts, Germán (5-5) struck out nine of 27 batters against the A’s, who have the worst record in the majors.

The 30-year-old right-hander, a seven-year veteran, had never thrown a complete game in the big leagues. He served a 10-game suspension in May after getting ejected from a game in Toronto for using an illegal sticky substance on the mound.

In the ninth, Germán got Aledmys Díaz to ground out before Shea Lanegeliers flied out to short center field. Esteury Ruiz grounded out to third baseman Josh Donaldson to end it.

JP Sears (0-6) took the loss.