Domingo Germán Joins MLB History in Multiple Ways

Domingo Germán, another Latino athlete making historic moves this week, completed the 24th perfect game in MLB history against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum Wednesday night.

The 30-year-old Dominican Republic-native only needed 99 pitches from the right-hander to complete the perfect game, marking the fourth perfect game in Yankee team history. The Yankees annihilated Oakland 11-0. Germán ended the game with nine innings pitched and striking out nine.

Accomplishing a perfect game is a unique achievement within itself. What added to the accomplishment was Germán is the third pitcher born outside of the United States to pitch a perfect game and the third Latino to do so.

The pair who did it before him was Montreal Expos pitcher Dennis Martínez in 1991. The Nicaraguan did it against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. The Expos beat the Dodgers 2-0. Second was Venezuelan right-hander Félix Hernández in 2012 in Seattle at Safeco Field against the Tampa Rays, the Mariners won 1-0. Germán’s performance snaps an 11-year-old drought of perfect games for the MLB. Hernandez was the last pitcher to complete this feat.

Germán dedicated the win and historic performance to his late uncle who had just passed two days prior.

“Unfortunately two days ago an uncle of mine passed away… I cried a lot yesterday in the clubhouse … I had him with me throughout the whole game, ”Germán told YES Network reporter Meredith Marakovits in a postgame interview

The six-year MLB veteran looks to turn his up-and-down season around. With a 5-5 record 4.54 era this moment can be the one to change it.