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SAN FRANCISCO How difficult, how elusive, how magically fated is a perfect game?

Consider this: Matt Cain struck out 14 batters on an unforgettable Wednesday night in China Basin. It matched Sandy Koufaxs iconic performance in 1965 as the most strikeouts in a perfect game in history.

And yet Cain needed so much support, so many breaks, so much luck -- and maybe even some angels breath.

Here is how it happened, inning by inning:

First inning: 11 pitches. Cain likes to establish his fastball early and it was clear he had plenty of late movement and cut -- and pinpoint control -- as he threw four of them to strike out Jordan Schafer. He went fastball-curve-fastball to strike out Jose Altuve. Jed Lowrie hit a foul pop.

Second inning: 12 pitches. Before it became edge-of-the-seat stuff., Cain faced his first three-ball count of the evening. Brett Wallace, a player in the Moneyball mold, fouled off a 3-1 fastball. Cain hadnt thrown either of his first two changeups in the strike zone, but Buster Posey called for one. Wallace swung through it.

Third inning: 17 pitches. Cain began to find a groove with his changeup and slider. Chris Snyder and pitcher J.A. Happ took called third strikes on fastballs that snapped back across the zone. Umpire Ted Barrett was giving him the black, as pitchers call it. Cain had gone through the lineup once. Even at this early juncture, he could sense he had it within himself to no-hit the Astros.

Fourth inning: 22 pitches Schafer worked Cain for a 10-pitch at-bat that included five two-strike fouls -- including one that came within a millimeter, as first baseman Brandon Belt saw it, of being a double down the line. Replays were inconclusive; Belt said it definitely hit in front of the bag and was hooking sharply. Umpire Mike Muchlinski called it foul and Cain, now operating with a four-run lead after two-run homers by Melky Cabrera and Belt, stayed aggressive. He only threw one ball among the 10 pitches to Schafer, who finally swung through a fastball. Little Altuve, all 5-foot-5 of him, didnt get any breaks on the zone. Barrett rang him up on a third strike above the letters.

Fifth inning: 14 pitches Two more strikeouts. One ball in play, to second baseman Ryan Theriot. Moving along

Go here to read the rest:
Anatomy of Cain's perfect game