MINNEAPOLIS — Perfect again into the sixth inning against Minnesota, White Sox ace Mark Buehrle wound up with a loss despite a record-setting performance.
Coming off the 18th perfect game in major-league history, Buehrle retired the first 17 batters Tuesday night to set a record with 45 outs in a row before the Twins rallied for a 5-3 victory over the White Sox.
Buehrle (11-4) lost what would have been his second consecutive perfect game and his no-hitter with two outs in the sixth. He wound up allowing five runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings.
He surpassed the mark of 41 straight set by San Francisco’s Jim Barr in 1972 and tied by teammate Bobby Jenks, a reliever, in 2007.
“Especially being able to break that here on the turf,” Jenks said. “That team is known for being able to hit the ball on the ground and run. It’s pretty impressive.”
Nick Punto had a two-run single and Brendan Harris added an RBI-single in Minnesota’s four-run seventh inning to move the Twins (51-50) into a tie with the White Sox for second place in the AL Central.
Buehrle breezed through the first 5 2/3 innings as he chased history. No pitcher has thrown two perfect games in a row, but the crafty left-hander was on track to do just that until he walked Alexi Casilla on a close call with two outs in the sixth.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, the Metrodome crowd jumped to its collective feet with a roar, trying anything it could to rattle the veteran Buehrle.
Did it work? Denard Span followed with a single to center field to break up the no-hitter, ending Buehrle’s bid to join Cincinnati’s Johnny VanderMeer in 1938 as the only pitcher to throw two no-hitters in a row.
Joe Mauer hit an RBI double to tie the game 1-all, and Punto’s flare to right field in the seventh ended Buehrle’s night.
