Brandon Young’s Perfect Game Bid Ends in Eighth Inning

HOUSTON (AP) — Baltimore Orioles right-hander Brandon Young lost his chance for a perfect game against the Houston Astros on Friday night during the eighth inning. With two outs, Ramon Urias hit a slow ground ball toward third base. Young fielded the ball but made an errant throw to first, resulting in a single with an error.

This performance came as a surprise since Young entered the game with an 0-6 record and a 6.70 ERA from his first ten MLB starts. He struck out five batters in eight innings, throwing 93 pitches, with 61 being strikes. The Orioles led the Astros 7-0 at the time of the hit.

In MLB history, there have been 24 perfect games, with the last one thrown by Domingo German of the New York Yankees on June 28, 2023. The Orioles have yet to record a perfect game.

Young, a native of Lumberton, Texas, about 100 miles northeast of Houston, was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Orioles in 2020. He made his big league debut on April 19. Before this game, he had never pitched more than six innings, and 95 pitches marked his previous career high.

The Astros have faced perfect games before, including one thrown by Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants on June 13, 2012. Young’s performance on Friday was memorable despite the near-perfect outcome.