Rays fall 3 outs short of MLB's 1st-ever combined perfect game
The Tampa Bay Rays lost their combined perfect game in the ninth inning of Sunday's contest against the Baltimore Orioles.
Hanser Alberto hit a leadoff single off left-hander Ryan Yarbrough to break it up, and Stevie Wilkerson added salt to the wound with another hit immediately afterward.
Hanser Alberto breaks up @Raysbaseball's perfect game in the top of the 9th with a single through the right side.
â FOX Sports Florida (@FOXSportsFL) July 14, 2019
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After Yarbrough struck out Chance Sisco for the first out in the inning, right-hander Oliver Drake came on in relief. Yarbrough was later charged with an earned run when Anthony Santander hit an RBI, two-out single.
"Both of them were really impressive," Rays manager Kevin Cash said postgame of Yarbrough and opener Ryne Stanek, according to The Associated Press. "Stanek was in the zone and established pitches, and Yarbrough came in and picked right up. A fun game to be part of."
There's never been a combined perfect game in MLB history, though several combined no-hitters have been accomplished. The most recent combined no-hitter came Friday night when the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Seattle Mariners.
Tampa Bay held on to win 4-1 on Sunday after Emilio Pagan struck out Trey Mancini to shut the door.
The Rays' lone no-hitter in franchise history came on July 26, 2010, when Matt Garza shut out the Detroit Tigers.