Big news at San Francisco's AT&T Park last night. Matt Cain became the first pitcher in the history of the Giants franchise (going back 130 years to their earliest days in New York) to throw a perfect game. To say that he was perfect was an understatement. He struck out 14 batters along the way and was in complete control with all four of his pitches as the Giants cruised to a 10-0 win over the Houston Astros. (Sorry Ernesto!)

It is doubtful that a single person in the stadium last night didn't fully realize the importance of what was occurring there. They were standing on their feet for virtually every third strike count from the middle of the game on.

And, of course, as with any perfect game (which is a reflection not just on the pitcher, but on the whole team because a single fielding error destroys the perfect game and reduces it to a no-hitter), there always seems to be one or two great defensive plays that allows the pitcher to achieve the honor, and this game was certainly no exception. Gregor Blanco, a major league outfielder that had bounced around from one team to the next, and whom the Giants scouted in the Venezuelan League this last autumn, made what has to be one of the most spectacular plays of all time to save a perfect game bid. You won't believe the ground this guy covered. The Giants outfield had been playing a bit of a shift towards left, but Blanco covered an incredible amount of territory to get to almost dead center to stretch out and catch the ball in the web of his glove, and then hang on to it as his body slammed into the ground.

Check out Blanco's amazing catch here (link)

Matt Cain has to be one of the most even-keeled pitchers that the game has seen. Nothing seems to faze him while he is on the mound. If someone hits a homerun, his expression is no different than if he just struck out a batter. And he is such a humble guy.

The Giants were concerned before the season started that he might want to test the waters of free agency, perhaps even signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have experienced a rush of increased team market value with the new ownership there. Fortunately, for all Giants fans, they signed him to a new five-year contract and avoided the risk of losing him. I wonder if Cain's agent now regrets advising him to sign so soon. Last night's perfect performance would probably have increased his bargaining leverage.

Congratulations to Matt Cain and to the San Francisco Giants for making history last night.

Read the San Francisco Chronicle's article about the perfect game here

Congrats to Matt Cain, Giants fans, and baseball fans everywhere. What a gem. One of the finest pitched games in the modern era without doubt!

I watched a few minutes of his press conference...he was wearing a sling with a fifty pound block of ice on his pitching arm, bless his heart.

And he's not even the Giants best pitcher. Okay, I went to the same University as Tim Lincecomb. How is that relevant?

Truly a remarkable event. I saw it several times on the news today and that's what you call hustle and focus. I tip my cap tp both men.

I missed that game.

What was I thinking? Where was I? What was I doing?

I can't even remember. Oh wait, a rehearsal?

That's it. No more rehearsals!

I'm a Yankees fan. I'm also a firm believer in the Giants pitching staff. Tim L. showed his talent in their last series win. It is also unfair to not mention the bearded Wilson. Neither team may be at the top of the stats this season but I think the Giants will return to the top soon. The Yankees however need some new blood. Some younger blood at that. Oh well... Great job for the game! I enjoy good baseball!

threadkiller, your post has me confused. The Yankees are in first place. And the Giants are in second place, only four games behind the Dodgers.

The Giants have been playing vastly better baseball once they got used to playing together, and once the youngsters settled down and stopped committing egregious errors several times a game. Pablo Sandoval is back after his time on the DL, so we have reason to be hopeful that the gap will now close with the Dogers. Plus, Los Angeles is playing tougher teams right now than they did back at the beginning of the season (while the Giants were playing a tougher schedule then). Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan were great pickups by the Giants and are playing better than anyone else on the team right now. Plus, along with Gregor Blanco (whose defensive skill saved Matt Cain's perfect game), we have three gazelles in the outfield who can cover a lot of ground. And that transfers well when they are on the base paths also.

But, you are right, the Giants pitching is their strength. Cain, Bumgarner, and Vogelsong are all pitching well enough to be discussed in the Cy Young discussions for this year. Zito has improved over his last few years, but is still inconsistent and, I fear, on a descending arc. Lincecum is struggling more than anyone who has won two consecutive Cy Young Awards in their first two major league seasons should. I think the problem is now squarely between his ears. They talk about his mechanics, but his mechanics are great for six of the seven innings that he pitches -- it is just that one bad inning where the other team puts up a crooked number and it kills their chances.

And the bullpen is fantastic, even with its regular closer gone.

It is a great time right now to be a Giants fan. Good pitchers, good players, and a good attitude in their clubhouse right now.

I love baseball, but you may have already noticed that.

I didn't get to see the game, but that's a tremendous accomplishment. I remember like it was yesterday, the perfect game in the world series that Don Larsen pitched for the Yankees. I'll always remember Yogi running out to the pitchers' mound after the final pitch and jumping up on him before the rest of the team got there. And, I'm not even a Yankees fan.

I hope this is just the beginning of many good things for this pitcher. This doesn't happen very often.

"Doesn't happen very often" is putting it mildly. Cain's perfecto was only the 22nd time it's been done in major league baseball history.

I missed that game.

What was I thinking? Where was I? What was I doing?

I can't even remember. Oh wait, a rehearsal?

That's it. No more rehearsals!

I missed that game.

What was I thinking? Where was I? What was I doing?

I can't even remember. Oh wait, a rehearsal?

That's it. No more rehearsals!

Yetto, I was at a rehearsal too, but Comcast rebroadcast the entire game last night, and may show it another time or too. Check your listings!

Oddly enough, Parabar, that was the fifth perfect game in the last four years alone! (It would have been the sixth if the umpire had not made a bad call and taken away Armando Galaraga's.) We only had one perfect game in the ten years between 1999-2009.

Unbelievably, there have already been five no-hitters this year. How can that be? I remember as a kid that it was a huge feat when Sandy Koufax or Nolan Ryan threw a no-hitter. But, now, five in one year? What is going on here?

1) Pitchers are getting better, with more sophisticated techniques and faster fastballs. 95 to 100 mph isn't that uncommon any more.
2) Without steroids, hitters aren't able to keep up as well. (those ten years between 1999 and 2009 included several of the most 'roid enhanced years)
3) Recently built stadia tend to be larger, so hits that would be home runs in some of the older parks are more likely to be caught for outs in newer parks.

It's possible that over the next few years the hitting will catch up some, but I suspect the edge will be to the pitching, and that the trend will be toward more no-hitters and shutouts.

Good analysis, Parabar. You may be on to something there.