Here Comes the Story of the HurriCain

Prior to Wednesday night, no pitcher in Giants baseball history had thrown a perfect game. It took nearly 130 years, and yet it's not surprising that it was Matthew Thomas Cain who got it done. His whole career he's been flirting with Destiny. Buying her drinks, charming her friends, and she laughed at all of his jokes. He'd put his hand on her lower back to gauge the interest level, and she'd never even flinch. But every time he'd lean in to close the deal, she'd back away, claiming she couldn't for reasons like "I'm meeting my parents early tomorrow for breakfast" and "I'm out with my friends; I can't just leave them." Still, as she was leaving the bar each time, Destiny would glance back at Matt and smile lovingly. Even lustily. So you got the idea that there was something special going on between these two, and it was only a matter of time before they finally gave into each other. And special it was. This was not your ho-hum 8-walk no-hitter, where Destiny is just stumbling drunk because all her friends are getting married and she's looking for the nearest Edwin Jackson to make out with. Last night, Destiny didn't even have a chance, and she knew it. It was Perfect.

But this was even more than that. We're talking about one of the greatest games ever pitched. Repeat: EVER. In the history of baseball. Cain's "game score" was 101, tying him for second highest ever for a 9-inning game*. That's the part that's hard to wrap your head around. Out of all the games that have EVER been pitched in the Major Leagues, Cain's performance is very near the top of the list. 

Big Game Matt Cain now has to be considered the leading candidate to start the All-Star game. He leads the league in Innings Pitched and in WHIP. That means not only has he pitched the most innings, but they've been, like, the best innings, with the fewest base runners per.

It's amazing how good he his, and at the same time how take-for-grantedable he is. It's a shame that it took a perfecto for me to realize this, but he needs to be considered amongst the great pitchers in Giants history. Maybe even the great players in Giants history. Ever since he entered the big leagues in 2005, he's been good. Has he ever even had a bad stretch? Not a single earned run in the 2010 post-season. This is stuff of Giants legends. He's the longest-tenured Giant, and he will be for years to come. He's never shown a sign of slowing down, nor of disgust with his team when they certainly deserved it due to offensive impotence. The contract extension he signed a couple of months ago is still in its fetal stages, but right now, it looks like a steal for the Giants. He's ours.

It won't take long for the Giants to honor this achievement with one of those walk-of-fame plaques on the boardwalk that runs along McCovey Cove. When it's all said and done, he may just have a statue.

 

*He's tied with Sandy Koufax's 14-strike-out perfect game in 1965 and Nolan Ryan's 16-strike-out no-hitter in 1991. Kerry Wood holds the Game Score record for a 9-inning game at 105 with his 20-strike-out 1-hitter back in 1998. There have been other old-timey, extra-inning masterpieces that have game scores significantly over 100.