g119 | King PERRRRRFECT!

Mariners 1 | Rays 0

courtesy Mariners twit pic

This one is bittersweet...
Ever so sweet because it was just a matter of time when the King would proclaim perfection.
But a bit bitter because it happened on a week day afternoon and, despite direction from my boss to at least watch the TV in the break area, I didn't see or hear a pitch due to meetings and such. Even if I'd felt unencumbered, I don't think I would have watched - by the time I realized what was happening, I was afraid to change positions (or breathe), let alone actually watch it unfold.

I did my best to "pretend I'd been there"...
I listened to the last couple of innings of the radio replay and watched all TWENTY-SEVEN outs on the TV replay. I can't even imagine how I would have felt had I actually been there in person - I got tense and teary even though I knew how each inning would end.

One of the things that struck me as I was watching/listening to the replays...
after about the 6th inning, you could almost feel the impatience of the broadcasters in the bottom of every inning. It was almost like they wanted the M's batters to get three outs as quickly as possible so they could get back to calling Felix's innings :-)

INNING 1
Fuld deeep fly out from the sun to the shadows to RF Thames
Upton ground out SS Ryan to 1B Smoak, nicely scooped
Joyce ground out 2B Ackley to 1B Smoak

7 PITCHES
0 WALKS
0 HITS

INNING 2
Longoria striKe out swinging
Zobrist ground out SS Ryan to 1B Smoak
Pena fly out to LF Robinson

10 PITCHES
0 WALKS
0 HITS

INNING 3
Lobaton high fly to RF Thames
Johnson striKe out swinging
Rodriguez fly out to LF Robinson

7 PITCHES
0 WALKS
0 HITS

INNING 4

Fuld line out to 3B Seager
Upton striKe out swinging
Joyce striKe out swinging

16 PITCHES

0 WALKS

0 HITS

INNING 5

Longoria line out to 2B Ackley
Zobrist fly out to LF Robinson
Pena ground out C Jaso to 1B Smoak

14 PITCHES

0 WALKS

0 HITS

INNING 6

Lobaton striKe out swinging
Johnson striKe out swinging
Rodriguez striKe out swinging

15 PITCHES

0 WALKS

0 HITS

INNING 7

Fuld ground out 2B Ackley to 1B Smoak
Upton ground out SS Ryan to 1B Smoak (whew! good thing Seager missed it!)
---Rays Manager, Joe Maddon tossed--
Joyce ground out to 1B Smoak

16 PITCHES

0 WALKS

0 HITS

INNING 8

Longoria striKe out swinging
Zobrist striKe out swinging
Pena striKe out swinging

13 PITCHES

0 WALKS

0 HITS

INNING 9

Lobaton striKe out swinging
Johnson ground out SS Ryan to 1B Smoak
Rodriguez striKe out called

15 PITCHES
0 WALKS
0 HITS

ONE HUNDRED THIRTEEN PITCHES + ZERO WALKS + ZERO HITS = PERFECTION!

"I've been working so hard to throw one and there it is, for you guys."

                                             -Felix Hernandez to the fans after the game

"From his sky box - Dave Niehaus - all smiles"

                      -Steve Berthiaume on Sportscenter

Love this slide show in the Everett Herald...
Felix through the years

I've watched all the highlights and video I could get my eyes on - this is BY FAR, my favorite...