San Francisco Giants: 15 Greatest Moments at AT&T Park

2. Matt Cain’s Perfect Game

There have only been 23 perfect games in the existence of Major League Baseball, which counts for well over 100 years. What Matt Cain did in June of 2012 was masterful, striking out 14 Houston Astros en route to perfection. It was the first perfect game in Giants history. His 14 strikeouts tied him with the great Sandy Koufax for most strikeouts in a perfect game as well, and this could not have happened to a better person.

Cain had spent five seasons in San Francisco at that point in which he was a highly valued pitcher who did not have the wins he deserved, as the Giants’ offense behind him could never score any runs in support. On this night, the offense sparked early and gave Cain 10 runs to work with.

Of the 23 perfect games, this was seen as special, due to the effort that the Giants showed to help their pitcher achieve glory. Not only did they provide more than enough run support, but they also provided support in the outfield, as Melky Cabrera robbed Chris Snyder of a double in the sixth. In the seventh inning, Blanco made of the most impressive diving catches we have ever seen, let alone in a game of this magnitude.

After the game, Cain’s wife Chelsea made her way down to the dugout to embrace him in a true Hollywood moment. As Cain was interviewed, he also made sure to thank his catcher and friend, Posey, for calling the right pitches and being in perfect sync with the right hander. Even during individual successes, the modern Giants players still appreciate what it means to be part of a close-knit team.

While World Series championships are memorable, and the ultimate goal for any professional sports franchise, those trophies are given out once a year. A perfect game may take a lifetime to experience as a fan, and Giants fans are truly blessed to see both in the same season.

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