Giants' Blake Snell throws 6 perfect innings before Twins' Manuel Margot gets a hit in 7th

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco pitcher Blake Snell didn’t allow a baserunner through six innings Sunday against the Minnesota Twins before Manuel Margot got a hit in the 7th.

Snell, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner who signed a $62 million, two-year deal with the Giants in the offseason, was seeking his first win in eight starts with his new team on Sunday.

Snell, 31, set a season high with eight strikeouts.

Snell kept the Twins’ offense quiet when he speared Diego Castilla’s comebacker in the sixth and made the toss to first for the out. The next batter, Christian Vazquez, hit a crisp grounder to Giants shortstop Brett Wisely, who made a diving stop and throw.

Snell was trying to become the second pitcher in Giants history to pitch a perfect game. Matt Cain did it against the Houston Astros on June 13, 2012.

There have been 24 perfect games in MLB history. Domingo German of the New York Yankees was the last pitcher to achieve perfection, retiring all 27 batters he faced against the Oakland Athletics in June 28, 2023.