Cain throws perfect game

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― Matt Cain pitched the 22nd perfect game in major league history and first for the Giants, striking out a career-high 14 and getting help from two spectacular catches to beat the Houston Astros 10-0 on Wednesday night.

Cain’s 125-pitch masterpiece for San Francisco featured a pair of great plays by his corner outfielders, and he got pinch-hitter Jason Castro on a grounder to third for his 27th and final out with the sellout crowd of 42,298 roaring.

At a ballpark where Barry Bonds made home run history, Cain produced the signature moment for pitchers.

Left fielder Melky Cabrera chased down Chris Snyder’s one-out flyball in the sixth, scurrying back to make a leaping catch at the wall. Cain raised both arms and slapped his glove in delight when Cabrera made the play.

Then, right fielder Gregor Blanco ran into deep right-center to make a diving catch on the warning track and rob Jordan Schafer for the first out of the seventh. The 27-year-old pitcher hugged Blanco in the dugout after the inning.

“Those were unbelievable catches,” Cain said. “I mean that right there, that changes the whole thing.”

Phillip Humber of the Chicago White Sox tossed the majors’ last perfecto at Seattle on April 21. This is the second time in three years there have been two perfect games in the same season ― before that, the only other time it happened was in 1880.

It was the fifth no-hitter already this season, and the third in June. Johan Santana tossed the New York Mets’ first no-hitter on June 1 and six Seattle pitchers shut down the Los Angeles Dodgers last Friday. Jered Weaver had one for the Los Angeles Angels on May 2.

Cincinnati 5, Cleveland 3

Washington 6, Toronto 2

NY Yankees 3, Atlanta 2

Baltimore 7, Pittsburgh 1

Boston 10, Miami 2

NY Mets 9, Tampa Bay 1

Texas 1, Arizona 0

Detroit 8, Chicago Cubs 4

Philadelphia 9, Minnesota 8

St. Louis 1, Chicago White Sox 0

Kansas City 4, Milwaukee 3

Oakland 10, Colorado 8

San Diego 1, Seattle 0

LA Angels 2, LA Dodgers 1