Only 21 times within the modern era (1900-present day) of Major League Baseball has a pitcher tossed a perfect game. Of the list of names to join the “perfect club,” only five of them have been enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. While this feat has beguiled so many, what’s most interesting is that the list of pitchers who were perfect until the final batter is an even rarer accomplishment. On April 2 of this last week Texas Rangers' pitcher Yu Darvish became the 11th pitcher in MLB history to have his heart broken on the 27th batter after Houston Astros' infielder Marwin Gonzalez trickled a single in between the legs of Darvish into the outfield. The biggest difference between Darvish’s night compared to the others is that Darvish is one of two of the 11 pitchers to not complete his game. With that, here are the top-five perfect game bids to end with batter No. 27. 

5. August 4, 1989- Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dave Stieb is one of two guys to have multiple no-hit/perfect game bids crushed in the final innings. The worst came against the New York Yankees when he gave up a double to Roberto Kelly in what should have been his final at-bat. Steve Sax followed Kelly with a RBI single. Luckily the Blue Jays were all ready up 2-0 as the game finished 2-1 with Stieb still on the mound. The previous season Stieb pitched back to back 8 2/3 no-hit bids which were both broken up on the final batter. Stieb finally got his one and only, as well as the Blue Jays one and only no-hitter of his career on September 2, 1990.

4. August 5, 1932- Detroit Tigers pitcher Tommy Bridges was one out away from becoming the fourth member of the perfect club when Washington Senators manager, and Hall of Famer, Walter Johnson elected to bring in Dave Harris to pinch hit for pitcher Bobby Burke. The Tigers had a 13-0 lead going into the top of the ninth, but Harris looped a single into the outfield, becoming the only base runner Bridges would allow all night. Senators leftfielder, and Hall of Famer, Sam Rice subsequently went down as the final out and the Tigers won the game. It should also be noted that Bridges went 2-4 with two RBI on the game.

3. September 2, 1972- Milt Pappas and the Chicago Cubs had an 8-0 lead over Don Zimmer’s San Diego Padres going into the ninth. Pappas got Padres leftfielder Johnny Jeter and catcher Mike Caldwell out with little-to-no trouble; however, like Johnson in 1932, Zimmer opted to pinch hit Larry Stahl for what could have been the final batter. Stahl worked the count to 3-2 when on the final pitch second year umpire Bruce Froemming called the borderline pitch a ball. The Cubs recorded the final out on pinch hitter Garry Jestadt and Pappas ended up with a no-hitter. Years later Pappas still holds ill-will toward Froemming, who went on to have a 37-year career as an umpire, calling balls and strikes for a record 11 no-hitters.

2. September 2, 2001- 21 years after Stieb pitched his no-hitter New York Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina took the mound against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mussina had previous had two perfect game bids go at least 23 batters deep before falling apart. Mussina made it past the first 26 batters in the toughest venue for a Yankees pitcher to succeed. With two outs Red Sox manager Joe Kerrigan pinch hit Carl Everett for Joe Oliver at which Mussina forced Everett into a 1-2 count before Everett blooped a single into left-center. Trot Nixon subsequently grounded out with in the next at-bat and Mussina ended his day with a 1-0 victory… and 13 strikeouts. What’s eerily ironic about this game is that the starting pitcher for the Red Sox that night was David Cone, who threw a perfect game for the Yankees two years earlier on Joe Torre’s birthday (June 18, 1999).

1.June 2, 2010- You just can’t argue this one. If there were a list of players you’d least expect to throw a perfect game, somewhere you’d find then Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga’s name on the list. But as pitchers and their catchers will tell you, some guys are just on. On this day against the Cleveland Indians, Galarraga was lights out. After dropping the first 26 batters shortstop Jason Donald came to the plate for the Indians. With a 1-1 count Galarraga threw a changeup down the pike that Donald poked between first and second base. First baseman Miguel Cabrera scooped it up and threw it to a sprinting Galarraga at first base.

The ball landed in Galarraga’s glove, his foot hit the bag a spilt second before Donald reached the base… but first baseline umpire Jim Joyce called Donald safe. At first Cabrera and Galarraga thought it was a joke, but sure enough it wasn’t. Cabrera and Tigers manager Jim Leyland gave Joyce an earful, but he stuck to his guns. The Tigers ended up recording the final out, but nobody was happy about the result. Even Donald couldn’t believe the call was blown as he knew the out was made before he touched the bag.

In the moments to follow the game Joyce had the tape cued up on the play and within a fraction of a second he knew he “kicked the play.” Joyce, filled with guilt, sought Galarraga to admit his mistake. Joyce also spoke to the media after the game to admit his error. The next day Galarraga took out the Tigers’ lineup card to the mound where Joyce was working behind the dish. A remorseful Joyce thanked Galarraga and gave him a pat on the back in front of a sold out Comerica Park crowd who gave Joyce and Galarraga a standing ovation. Only in baseball can a mistake so historical be turned into a positive for everyone.

No one was hurt or injured. The only thing that changed is a little mark in a record book. The people who witnessed it know it was a perfect game. The people who watched the highlights know it was a perfect game. Even the Hall of Fame knows it was a perfect game. Perhaps that is all which is truly good enough.