Oh So Close to Perfect...

The family and I went to the Twins game last night. Even though they're pretty much done it's nice to hang with the parents and catch some baseball. It was a good time - eating corn outside, drinking some beers, making fun of Mike Redmond's "wide stance." Good times. It wasn't until about the 7th inning, after the Twins already had a comfortable lead, that I looked up at the scoreboard and realized that Scott Baker had a no-hitter going. To be honest, we were playing the Royals, so I wasn't really paying attention when they were up to bat.

I was excited that I would be witnessing a no-hitter here! I thought about the game a little and turned to the fans next to me. "Has he even walked anyone yet?" Nope. Scott Baker had a perfect game going into the seventh inning.

Well, me and the rest of the 15,000 people in attendance seemed to liven up a little and suddenly the 7th was over. Then in the eighth Scotty looked great. He wasn't even up to 100 pitches yet and he was still striking people out. This perfect game from a pitcher who last year was sent up and down, bouncing between AAA and the Twins was really happening.

The ninth started and everyone was into it. From our seats to the left and above home plate we had a tough time seeing the strike zone well, so I couldn't get too upset when Baker walked the lead-off batter in the ninth on some questionable balls. Perfect game shattered. Next the Royals pinch-hit Mike Sweeney for Tony Pena Jr. just to be dicks. Sweeney looped a single over 2nd base. No-hitter destroyed. All in the ninth. Crap.

Baker rallied and finished the game with a shut-out intact, but it'll be a while before I forget about the time I almost saw a Twins pitcher not named Johann go lights out and pitch a perfect game.