There has never been a dumber way for a perfect game to end.
The Chicago Cubs have been around since 1903. Wrigley Field opened in 1914. Somehow, no Cubs player has ever thrown a perfect game, and there has never been a perfect game at Wrigley Field.
Both of those streaks were almost broken on Friday afternoon, but a perfect game bid by Cubs starter Drew Smyly was lost on just about the silliest play possible. Smyly took a perfect game into the top of the eighth inning against the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers with the North Siders holding a 13-0 lead. David Peralta came up as a pinch hitter to lead off the eighth, and hit a slow dribbler down the third base line.
This should have been a routine play for the first out of the inning. Instead, Cubs catcher Yan Gomes collided with Smyly, flipped over his back, and knocked him to the ground. The runner was safe at first. Watch a video of the play here:
Cubs fans couldn’t believe it.
That’s a very Cubs way to end a perfecto bid.
— Funky Cold Luda (@lcm1986) April 21, 2023
At least Cubs manager David Ross kept his sense of humor about it:
Asked if Smyly would’ve been allowed to go the distance if the perfect game remained intact, Cubs manager David Ross joked: “I was gonna ride him harder than Yan did.”
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) April 21, 2023
This would be a ridiculous way for any team to lose a perfect more. It’s even more ridiculous when you factor in that both the Cubs and Wrigley Field have existed for more than 100 years without ever seeing a perfect game. Baseball is full of wild stats, and this is one of them:
There’s never been a perfect game by a Cub and there’s never been a perfect game at Wrigley.
we have to wait a little longer…
— CHGO Sports (@CHGO_Sports) April 21, 2023
At least Cubs fans can take solace in their team being one of the bigger pleasant surprises in baseball to start the season. The North Siders have won five of their last six games, and are now 12-7 on the season.
The wait for a perfect game in Wrigley continues.
