Buehrle tosses perfect game with Wise's backup from ESPN.com

 by Associated Press

Mark Buehrle pitched the first perfect game in the major leagues in five years, leading the Chicago White Sox over the Tampa Bay Rays 5-0 on Thursday.

CHICAGO -- Mark Buehrle pitched the first perfect game in the major leagues in five years Thursday and Chicago White Sox center fielder DeWayne Wise got the assist.

Buehrle (11-3) got a great catch from center fielder Wise leading off the ninth inning to save the bid -- and the 5-0 shutout of the Tampa Bay Rays.Wise entered at the start of the inning as a defensive replacement and when Gabe Kapler led off with a drive to deep left-center, Wise sprinted and, on a dead run, jumped and got his glove above the fence to rob Kapler of a home run.The ball almost came out when Wise caromed off the fence, stumbled, fell to the ground and rolled. But he bounced right up, proudly displaying the ball for the crowd in his bare left hand."I was hoping it was staying in there, give him enough room to catch it. I know the guys were doing everything they could to save the no-hitter, the perfect game, whatever it might be," Buehrle said.Michel Hernandez then struck out, and with fans chanting Buehrle's name, Jason Bartlett grounded to shortstop. Buehrle was mobbed by teammates between the mound and first base."I don't know if it's really sunk in yet. We have a short flight to Detroit. I'm sure it will be a little hectic later," said Buehrle, who threw 116 pitches and struck out six.Buehrle pitched his second no-hitter. In a 6-0 win over Texas on April 18, 2007, he also faced the minimum 27 batters. He walked Sammy Sosa on a 3-1 pitch with one out in the fifth inning, then picked him off two pitches later."I bought everyone watches after the last one. That was an expensive no-hitter," he said. "This one will probably be more expensive."It was the 18th perfect game in major league history, the 16th since the modern era began in 1900 and the first since Arizona's Randy Johnson against Atlanta on May 18, 2004.Before the ninth, Buehrle needed no great plays behind him. In the fourth, Evan Longoria hit a line drive right at shortstop Alexei Ramirez. In the eighth, third baseman Gordon Beckham didn't have to move to catch Pat Burrell's liner.Buehrle went to three-ball counts on just four batters, including 3-0 to Bartlett in the sixth. Bartlett took the next two pitches for strikes, fouled one off and then hit a routine grounder to Ramirez. As the shortstop threw to first, those in the crowd of 28,036, sensing history, cheered loudly.With one out in the eighth, Ben Zobrist hit a weak grounder that just rolled foul and later popped out on a 3-2 pitch. The next batter, Burrell, lined one just foul to left, with third-base umpire Laz Diaz making an emphatic "foul" call. Burrell then lined out to third moments later.The 30-year-old left-hander became only the second pitcher to throw two no-hitters for the White Sox: Frank Smith did it against Detroit in 1905 and the Philadelphia Athletics in 1908. The only previous perfect game for the White Sox was by Charles Robertson at Detroit on April 30, 1922.It was the second no-hitter against the Rays. Derek Lowe accomplished the feat for Boston on April 27, 2002.Scott Kazmir (4-6) allowed five runs and five hits in sixth innings. Josh Fields, who entered the game in a 1-for-20 slump, hit a grand slam in the second inning and Ramirez hit an RBI double in the fifth.Game notes
The Rays placed RHP Chad Bradford on the 15-day DL with low back tightness and recalled RHP Dale Thayer from Triple-A Durham. ... After failing on their previous four attempts to go five games over .500, the White Sox succeeded.