Buehrle hurls perfect game

CHICAGO – 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, in the American League on Thursday.

Buehrle (11-3), backed by Josh Fields’ second-inning grand slam, threw 76 of 116 pitches for strikes and fanned six in his second career no-hitter.

His bid was saved at the start of the ninth inning by center fielder DeWayne Wise, who jumped and got his glove above the wall to rob Gabe Kapler of a home run.

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. 

At Detroit, Jarrod Washburn pitched seven scoreless innings for Seattle to win for the eighth time in 10 games against Detroit, 2-1.

Washburn (8-6), who allowed two hits and two walks, was 5-1 with a 1.81 ERA in his last seven starts.

Rookie starter Luke French (1-1) took the loss, the first of his career. He allowed two runs on eight hits in 5 1-3 innings and struck out six without walking a batter.

Seattle took a 1-0 lead in the first on Mike Sweeney’s RBI double, and made it 2-0 in the sixth. Curtis Granderson pulled the Tigers within 2-1 with a two-out RBI triple off Mark Lowe in the eighth.

At Toronto, rookie David Huff won for the first time in three starts and Shin-Soo Choo tripled home two runs as Cleveland won its first series in nearly three weeks, beating Toronto, 5-4.

The left-handed Huff (5-4) allowed four runs and eight hits in 7 2-3 innings. Huff left after Kevin Millar cut Cleveland’s lead to one with a two-out homer in the eighth.

The Indians chased Toronto rookie left-hander Marc Rzepczynski with a three-run fifth. Toronto answered in the bottom half, making it 4-3 on a two-run homer by Aaron Hill, who leads Toronto with 22. (AP)