On this day: Felix Hernandez pitches 23rd Perfect Game in MLB history

Twelve years ago today, Felix Hernandez etched his name into baseball history by pitching the Seattle Mariners’ first-ever perfect game.

On August 15, 2012, the then-26-year-old right-hander dominated the Tampa Bay Rays in a 1-0 victory at Safeco Field, becoming the 23rd pitcher in Major League Baseball history to achieve perfection.

From the first pitch to the last, Hernandez, affectionately known as “King Felix,” displayed masterful control and unwavering focus.

His performance peaked in the later innings, where he struck out five of the final six batters, including Sean Rodriguez on a called third strike to secure the perfect game and ignite a raucous celebration with his teammates.

“It was always in my mind, every game. ‘I need to throw a perfect game.’ Today it happened, and it’s something special,” Hernandez said after the game. “I don’t have any words to explain this. This is pretty amazing. It doesn’t happen every day.”

The historic feat was the third perfect game of the 2012 season, following those by Chicago’s Philip Humber and San Francisco’s Matt Cain.

Hernandez’s achievement was especially significant for Mariners fans, as the franchise had endured a long playoff drought and lacked notable success on the field.

Yet, King Felix remained a constant source of hope and excitement for the Pacific Northwest.

The only run of the game came in the third inning, courtesy of Brendan Ryan’s aggressive baserunning and a clutch single by Jesus Montero.

Hernandez, however, didn’t need much run support.

His sharp curveball baffled Tampa Bay’s hitters all afternoon, with Evan Longoria, Ben Zobrist, and Carlos Pena each falling victim to his lethal breaking pitches in the eighth inning.

Hernandez’s perfect game marked the second no-hitter of the season for the Mariners, doubling the franchise’s previous total.

It also highlighted Hernandez’s status as one of the most dominant pitchers of his generation, a reputation he built not just on his stuff but on his competitive fire and dedication to the team.

Reflecting on the performance, Mariners manager Eric Wedge remarked, “Felix is so consistently good that when he does take it up to another level, you never know how it’s going to turn out.”

Even a decade later, Felix Hernandez’s perfect game remains a defining moment in Mariners history, a crowning achievement for a pitcher who gave his all for the team and its fans.

Today, the memory of that brilliant afternoon still resonates with the Pacific Northwest, celebrating the legacy of a true king on the mound.