If you’re anything like us here at the Turf, the current MLB lockout and subsequent lack of baseball have left you feeling a bit empty this time of year. But fear not. If there’s one thing we’ve gotten good at since the pandemic began back in 2020, it’s finding ways to bridge the gap when sports need to take a pause. And once again, we’re doing the hard work so you don’t have to. So while we all sit around and wait for MLB and its players to find common ground on a seemingly endless list of issues, we encourage you to fill the baseball void with a classic game from yesteryear.

Today: Pedro Takes a Perfect Game Into Extras

1995 was a notable year for the Montreal Expos for 2 reasons. First, they drafted Tom Brady (that’s right, the last Expos draft pick active in professional sports retired this past month). Try to wrap your brain around that one.

Second, a young Pedro Martinez pitched what may or may not be considered a “perfect” game, depending on which fans you ask. On June 3rd of that year, the Expos took on the San Diego Padres on the road. A 23-year old Martinez took the mound and needed only 93 pitches to mow down the Padres lineup in order over 9 innings (a lineup that included Tony Gwynn and Ken Caminiti, to boot). The problem for Pedro? His “perfect” game was not yet perfect, as his Expos teammates failed to score a run against Joey Hamilton who allowed only 3 hits over 9 innings himself. Martinez became the second pitcher ever to take a perfect game into extra innings, where he would, unfortunately, allow a double on the third pitch he threw in the 10th. The Expos would go on to eventually win the game in extras, giving Pedro the win. But despite his clean, consecutive 27 outs, this performance will live on as the perfect game that wasn’t.