Former Blue Jays pitcher notches perfect game in the minors

Article content

See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source

Article content

Former Blue Jays pitcher Thomas Pannone etched his name into the International League record books on Monday, becoming the 17th player in the triple-A circuit’s decades-old history to throw a perfect game.

Article content

Article content

The 32-year-old lefty hurler spun nine flawless innings for the Nashville Sounds, the Milwaukee Brewers’ top minor-league affiliate, as they beat the Durham Bulls 3-0 on Monday in North Carolina.

Pannone needed just 94 pitches to complete the third perfect game in the history of the Sounds franchise and just the fifth single-player, nine-inning perfecto in the 142 years of the International League.

The other 12 were completed in seven innings or less, according to Baseball Reference, with Pannone joining familiar names like Bronson Arroyo, Tomo Ohka, Mariano Rivera and Joe Niekro on the list.

Article content

Article content

Rare feat for single minor-league pitcher

“Perfection!” the Sounds social media account posted after the game.

MLB Pipeline said in a post on social media that it was also the first nine-inning perfect game featuring a single pitcher in the minors since 2017.

Article content

Codify, meanwhile, said his fastest pitch on the night was clocked at 91.2 m.p.h.

Article content

Pannone, who made 13 starts for the Blue Jays during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, struck out eight Bulls along the way, including former major-leaguers Nick Madrigal, Carson Williams, Jack Suwinski, Blake Sabol and Logan Davidson.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play Video

Another ex-Jays’ son in Bulls lineup

One Tampa Bay Rays farmhand who Pannone did not whiff is sure to turn heads for Blue Jays fans of a certain vintage: Homer Bush Jr.

An Eduardo Garcia home run was all the damage that Pannone needed as he boosted his season-long ERA to 4.23 and his WHIP to 1.22.

The Cranston, R.I. native, who was drafted in the 33rd round by Cleveland in 2013 out of the College of Southern Nevada, has made one appearance for the Brewers this season, giving up two earned runs in three innings against the San Francisco Giants on July 29.

He was acquired by the Blue Jays from Cleveland with outfielder Samad Taylor in 2017 for reliever Joe Smith before signing with the Los Angeles Angels as a free agent in 2020.

Article content