Perfecto, Domingo

June 29, 2023

By: Carlos Alvarez

Good Morning,

If you fell asleep early, you missed a moment of magic in Oakland. Yankees pitcher Domingo Germán achieved something that hasn’t been done since 2012. Ninety-nine pitches to perfection…

Holiday Schedule: The Sportsletter team will be off next week (Monday, July 3 — Wednesday, July 5) to observe Independence Day.

Letter Rip!

MLB

Perfecto, Domingo!

\"\"/ — *Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images*

Yankees’ Domingo Germán Authors MLB’s 1st Perfect Game Since 2012

El perfecto! Wednesday’s perfect storm pitted the Domingo Germán heat wave against the icy A’s cold front in an 11-0 blowout in Oakland. But the real story was Germán’s picture-perfect pitching display. The Yankees’ 30-year-old right-hander had allowed 17 runs in his previous two starts, but this was MLB\’s worst team and an opportunity to turn things around. Checkmate. Germán began the night with a milestone and his 500th career strikeout before catching fire and building a buzz that slowly echoed around the sports world.

Much of the credit goes to the Yankee infielders who made plenty of plays around the diamond to preserve the perfecto. The tension was palpable with a 7-0 lead in the sixth inning before Anthony Rizzo made a glove save at 1st base to keep the perfecto breathing. As the game crept into the 7th, the belief started growing. Germán rode a wicked curveball through the middle of the game and found renewed energy in his fastball as he started dealing down the stretch. Esteury Ruiz’s ground-out to 3rd base sealed it for the final out. Celebration on the mound, and a low-attendance weeknight in Oakland — at a soon-to-be-abandoned ballpark — played host to a historic moment. Germán struck out nine batters by night’s end and needed just 99 pitches to retire all 27 batters.

It’s just the 24th perfect game in MLB history, the fourth in Yankees franchise history, and the first in the majors in 11 years. The A’s hadn’t been no-hit since July of 1991 — the longest active streak in the majors… Until now. The Domingo Perfecto!

Last MLB Perfect Game: Felix Hernandez (2012)

Last Yankees Perfect Game: David Cone (1999)

Watch: Domingo Germán’s Perfect Game

9 Innings, 0 Hits, 0 Walks, 0 Runs, 9 Strikeouts, 99 Pitches

NY Times: Yankees Pitcher Domingo German Throws MLB’s First Perfect Game Since 2012

MLB Quick-Hitters

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Cubs Rookie Jared Young Hits 1st Career HR in Loss to Phillies (8-5)

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NHL

NHL Draft Rewind

\"\"/ — *Photo: Dave Sandford / Getty Images*

NHL Draft 1st-Round Recap: Blackhawks Take Bedard No. 1 Overall; Flyers Select Michkov With 7th Pick

The 2023 NHL Draft took over Nashville on Wednesday night. The first four picks and six of the top 10 were centers, which was not a surprise. Neither was the No. 1 overall pick. The Chicago Blackhawks selected Connor Bedard — a teenage phenom who is the most-hyped prospect since another Connor (McDavid, 2015). Bedard led major junior hockey in goals and assists in the 2022-23 season, and he’s widely regarded as a generational talent, offensively. He’s undersized at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, but he’s only 17 years old. The Blackhawks might have a skater to build around for the next two decades. Here’s a look at the top 10 picks:

NHL Draft (Top-10)

1. Blackhawks: C Connor Bedard (WHL/Canada)

2. Ducks: C Leo Carlsson (Sweden)

3. Blue Jackets: C Adam Fantilli (Michigan, NCAA)

4. Sharks: C William Smith (USA-18/NTDP)

5. Canadiens: D David Reinbacher (Switzerland)

6. Coyotes: D Dimitriy Simashev (Russia)

7. Flyers: RW Matvei Michkov (Russia)

8. Capitals: RW Ryan Leonard (USA-18/NTDP)

9. Red Wings: C Nate Danielson (WHL/Canada)

10. Blues: C Dalibor Dvorsky (Sweden)

Full NHL Draft 1st-Round Picks & Analysis

Blackhawk History at #1: The Blackhawks had the No. 1 selection just once in franchise history (2007) when they selected Patrick Kane. He won three Stanley Cups, one Conn Smythe and one Hart Trophy.

Philly Takes a Flyer: The Flyers took the biggest risk of the draft by selecting RW Matvei Michkov with the seventh pick. The 18-year-old Russian was potentially the second-best player in the draft, but he’s on contract in the KHL through 2025-26. The Flyers won’t have his services for three seasons.

NHL Draft Schedule

Rounds 2-7 (Today, 11:00 am ET)

ESPN: Ducks Surprise, Take Carlsson Over Fantilli With No. 2 Pick

The Athletic: Flyers’ Matvei Michkov Pick is Boldest Sign About ‘New Era’

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HIGHLIGHTS

Concacaf Gold Cup

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WNBA

Mystics Thrash Dream (109-86) on Delle Donne’s 25-7-4 Night

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STORYLINES

The Return of Simone Biles

American gymnast Simone Biles is set to return to competition at the U.S. Classic outside Chicago in early August, her first event since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. (Sports Illustrated)

Every NBA Team’s Top FA Target

The NBA free agency festivities tip off Friday at 6 p.m. ET, but players, teams, and agents would never send out feelers before then. Here’s one target for every NBA team. (Bleacher Report)

MLB All-Star Game Predictions

The 2023 All-Star Game is less than two weeks away, and the MLB will announce the fan-voted starters Thursday. Here are the 20 players who should start. (FOX Sports)

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NEWS