Seattle Mariners' pitcher Felix Hernandez celebrates with teammates, including Justin Smoak (No. 17), after throwing a perfect game in the Mariners' 1-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in Seattle Wednesday. — AP SEATTLE — Felix Hernandez pitched the Seattle Mariners' first perfect game and the 23rd in baseball history, overpowering the Tampa Bay Rays in a brilliant 1-0 victory Wednesday. The Mariners' ace and former AL Cy Young Award winner has long talked of his desire to achieve pitching perfection. He finally accomplished it against the Rays, striking out the side twice and finishing with 12 strikeouts. It was the third perfect game in baseball this season — a first — joining gems by Chicago's Philip Humber against the Mariners in April and San Francisco's Matt Cain against Houston in June, and it was the sixth no-hitter. “I don't have any words to explain this," Hernandez said to the crowd, speaking on the field after the final out. “I've been working so hard to throw one and today is for you guys." A perfect game is when none of the 27 batsmen on a team reaches first base, either through a hit, walk or error. Desmond Jennings pinch hit for Jose Lobaton to open the ninth. Hernandez got ahead 1-2 before Jennings fouled off two straight and Hernandez fanned him on a 92 mph fastball down in the zone. Jeff Keppinger batted for Elliot Johnson and grounded out to shortstop on a 1-2 pitch. With one out to go, Sean Rodriguez got ahead of Hernandez 2-0. Hernandez came back with two straight breaking balls for strikes and ended perfection with a called third strike. Hernandez (11-5) threw his arms up to the sky and was mobbed by his teammates at the pitcher's mound. He embraced catcher John Jaso for a few seconds and then shared hugs with the rest of his teammates. Tigers 5, Twins 1: Miguel Cabrera became the first player in Tigers history to reach 30 home runs in five straight seasons and Max Scherzer threw seven scoreless innings for Detroit. Cabrera also singled in the fifth off Cole De Vries (2-4) to push his majors-leading total to 103 RBIs. His opposite-field solo shot in the first inning put the Tigers in front, and Scherzer (12-6) struck out 10 batters to move ahead of teammate Justin Verlander for the AL lead for at least a few days. Delmon Young added a two-run homer against his former team. White Sox 9, Blue Jays 5: Adam Dunn hit his major league-leading 34th home run, Dayan Viciedo and DeWayne Wise also connected and Chicago beat Toronto. Gavin Floyd pitched six innings to snap a three-start winless streak as the White Sox won back-to-back games north of the border for the first time since Aug. 4-5, 2006. Kelly Johnson hit a three-run homer and Jeff Mathis hit a solo shot for the Blue Jays, who have lost seven of nine and 13 of 17. Royals 3, Athletics 2: Will Smith pitched seven strong innings, Chris Getz doubled home the go-ahead run and Kansas City defeated Oakland. Smith (4-4), a 23-year-old rookie left-hander, limited the A's to two runs and five hits, while striking out five and walking one. With two outs in the seventh, Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain and Getz hit consecutive doubles, the first Kansas City extra-base hits of the game. Cain, who was in a 2-for-24 skid, doubled home Hosmer to tie the score. Angels 8, Indians 4: Mike Trout and Chris Iannetta homered to help Los Angeles build a big lead against Roberto Hernandez in his season debut with Cleveland, and Ervin Santana breezed to a victory. In other games it was: Baltimore 5, Boston 3; NY Yankees 3, Texas 2. — Agencies
