Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches the seventeenth perfect game in Major League Baseball history in a 2-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field in Atlanta. Johnson strikes out thirteen in the gem, his game score of 100 falling just five short of the all time record of 105 held by Kerry Wood.
The Big Unit keeps the Atlanta offense off balance all night, striking out second baseman Nick Green followed by pinch hitter Eddie Perez (with a 98 mph fastball) in the bottom of the ninth to seal the deal before a standing, cheering crowd of 23,381. The closest the Braves come to a hit is a slow bouncer to short in the sixth that Alex Cintron handles fairly easily.
The Diamondbacks meanwhile, make sure Randy doesn't get robbed like Pedro Martinez in 1995, scoring a run in the second on a double by Cintron, and again in the seventh on a single by rookie third baseman Chad Tracy.
The 6'10" lefthander throws 107 pitches, 87 of them for strikes, in a game that lasts just 2 hours and 13 minutes. It is the second no-hitter of his career, his first coming on June 2nd, 1990 against the Detroit Tigers. At forty years of age, he is the oldest pitcher to throw a perfect game.
Line Score - At Atlanta, May 18, 2004
123 456 789 R H E
Arizona 010 000 100 2 8 0
ATLANTA 000 000 000 0 0 3
Pitchers: ARZ - R. Johnson
ATL - Hampton
Home Runs: None.
Attendance: 23,381
P.S.: MLB Extra Innings kicks ass.