SEATTLE — Former Met Phil Humber had Tommy John surgery before his career even started. He bounced around a bit as he tried to make it in the major leagues.
Now, well, Humber is perfect. Of course, he no longer is a Met because they have not had a no-hitter in their history.
Humber threw the first perfect game in the majors in almost two years, leading the White Sox to a 4-0 victory over the Mariners Saturday.
“What just took place was just awesome,” he said.
It was baseball’s 21st perfect game and first since Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay threw one against the Florida Marlins on May 29, 2010. It was the third in White Sox’s history, joining Mark Buehrle against Tampa Bay on July 23, 2009, and Charles Robertson against Detroit on April 30, 1922.
Before yesterday, Humber was best known as one of four prospects the Mets traded to Minnesota for two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana in February 2008. That’s no longer the case — not after throwing the majors’ first no-hitter of the season and the second April perfect game in major league history.
“I don’t even know what to say,” Humber said. “I don’t know what Philip Humber is doing in this list. No idea what my name is doing there, but I’m thankful it’s there.”
He was drafted No. 3 overall by the Mets in 2004, one pick after Justin Verlander went to the Detroit Tigers. But Humber was sidelined by elbow-ligament replacement surgery the following year and didn’t win a game in the majors until 2010 with Kansas City.
With the White Sox lined up on the top step of the dugout, Humber fell behind 3-0 to Michael Saunders leading off the ninth. But he rebounded to strike him out. John Jaso then flied out before Brendan Ryan, another pinch hitter, struck out to end the game.
Ryan took a checked swing and missed at a full-count pitch that was outside and low, but the ball got away from Pierzynski. Ryan lingered outside the batter’s box for a minute, unsure of umpire Brian Runge’s call, and Pierzynski fired to first to complete the play.