BRONX, N.Y. — On this date in 1998, David Wells achieved perfection. On Beanie Baby Day at Yankee Stadium, the New York Yankees faced the Minnesota Twins.
In the Yankees 4-0 victory, Wells retired all 27 batters he faced and became the thirteenth pitcher in major-league history to record a perfect game.
While Don Larsen tossed a perfect game in the 1956 Fall Classic, Wells became the first Yankee in the regular season to pull off the feat.
Wells threw nine pitches in the first frame, 13 in the second stanza, and struck out the side in the third inning on 19 pitches.
Cruising along into the seventh inning, Wells kept it going as Tino Martinez beat Brent Gates to first base on a hot smash grounder. Plus, Wells rebounded after falling behind 3-1 to Paul Molitor to register a strikeout.
During the eighth inning, Chuck Knoblauch stabbed a grounder up the middle by Ron Coomer to make the out.
In the ninth inning, Wells not only posted his eleventh strikeout of the contest but finished off the perfecto by virtue of a Pat Mears flyout to Paul O’Neill in right to end the game.
