MySports Today

Mark Buerhle pitched a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday afternoon and then retired the 1st 17 batters that he faced in last night’s 5-3 loss to the Twins in Minnesota.  The 45 outs in a row was a new Major League Baseball record for most consecutive outs recorded.  The previous record was 41 batters – San Francisco’s Jim Barr did so in 1972 and Buerhle’s teammate Bobby Jenks did so in 2007.  D Span ended Buerhle’s no-hit bid with a bloop single to center field with 2 outs in the 6th inning.  The Twins scored 1 run that inning off of Buerhle on Joe Mauer’s RBI double and then 4 more runs in the bottom of the 7th inning to take control of the game.

Buerhle could ot focus on the record after the frustrating loss at the Metrodome:  “It’s frustrating after a loss.  It might mean more tomorrow or the next day once I cool off.  But I’m not too happy right now…I’m not a big fan of broken-bat, bloop singles.  It just seems like any time at this place you just know it’s going to happen.  You could be up 10-0 in the ninth inning and something’s going to happen in that inning.”

The White Sox have been in a tailspin since Buerhle’s perfect game, losers of 5 of 6 games.  The White Sox and Twins are currently tied for 2nd place in the AL Central, 2 games behind the Detroit Tigers.