Oakland’s Braden Perfecto Against Rays
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Tuesday night’s game between the Phillies and the Colorado Rockies was postponed due to rain and so the first exposure of the Rocks to ‘The Doc’– ace Roy Halladay will have to wait for Wednesday’s doubleheader game 1. I had slotted writing about Oakland A’s Dallas Braden’s perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays into Thursday’s Phillies open date, but due to the rainout, I’ll comment here on Oakland’s Braden’s perfecto against the Rays.
Young Oakland lefthander Dallas Braden managed to hit the bright lights of fame and glory having tossed only the 19th perfect game in all of MLB history this past Sunday. And he didn’t accomplish the feat against some ordinary run-of-mill team like the Cleveland Indians, the Kansas City Royals or the Seattle Mariners. Braden took on the hottest team in baseball, the team currently leading the MLB wins (23), winning percentage (.688). Not an easy feat to even merely shut out those Tampa Bay Rays, let alone to no-hit them or to go el-perfecto.
Little did we know a few weeks ago when Braden took issue with Yankees 3rd baseman Alex Rodriguez when A-Rod had the unmitigated chutzpah to cross Braden’s mound, that the lefty could back his words with talent, i.e. “To be the Man, you gotta beat the Man.”
AP baseball writer Janie McCauley recaps Braden’s masterpiece for Yahoo:
The closest the Rays got to a hit was Jason Bartlett’s liner to third leading off the game. Evan Longoria tried to bunt leading off the fifth, drawing boos from the small crowd.
In fact, in light of the Bru-Ha-Ha a couple of weeks ago when A-rod crossed through the mound area, the media gave play to Longoria’s bunt attempt which went foul. The Rays’ All Star 3rd baseman ended up going down on a swinging 3rd strike and Braden didn’t make a fuss at the fouled bunt attempt which might have constituted violation of another “unwritten rule.”
McCauley continues:
Braden pitched the A’s first perfect game since Hall of Famer Jim “Catfish” Hunter’s gem on May 8, 1968, against the Minnesota Twins. Only 6,298 were there to witness it. Sunday’s crowd at the Coliseum wasn’t much better: 12,228.
Braden (4-2) wasn’t fazed by anything, locating his fastball in every spot, throwing two-strike changeups and getting quick outs against a Rays team that lost on the road for just the third time this year. He struck out six in the improbable 109-pitch performance, throwing 77 strikes in his 53rd career start and first complete game.
Braden’s teammates mobbed him when the Mother’s Day masterpiece was over, leaving bats and gloves scattered on the field. The left-hander pointed to the sky in honor of his single mom, Jodie Atwood, who died of skin cancer when he was a high school senior. He shared a long and tearful hug with Lindsey, who helped raise him, in front of the dugout.
“It hasn’t been a joyous day for me in a while,” Braden said. “With my grandma in the stands, it makes it a lot better.”
Braden’s perfect game was the sixth no-hitter in Oakland history. The 26-year-old Braden, a native of nearby Stockton, was a 24th-round draft pick by the A’s in 2004. He improved his career record to 18-23.
To view the scores of all of Tuesday’s MLB games, click here.
The Mets and Washington Nationals are now tied for 2nd place in the NL East, 2 1/2 games behind the Phillies after the Mets beat the Nationals in game 2 of their 3 game series.
On Wednesday. the Phils and Rockies make-up Tuesday’s rainout by playing a doubleheader. In game 1, the Doc gets to hang out his shingle in Colorado for the first time — Phillies ace Roy Halladay is opposed by Aaron Cook for the Rockies.
In game 2, ageless lefthander Jamie Moyer opposes Esmil Rogers for the Rocks.
From Colorado, the Phils have Thursday off before heading to Milwaukee for a 3 game weekend series before heading back to Citizen’s Bank Park for a 7 game homestand.
To view all of Wednesday’s games, click here.
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