Seattle's Logan Gilbert loses perfect game in 7th vs Rangers

Updated May. 8, 2023 11:21 p.m. ET

Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Mariners right-hander Logan Gilbert lost his bid for a perfect game against the Texas Rangers when Marcus Semien led off the seventh inning with a single.

Gilbert had been overpowering against one of the top offenses in baseball Monday night. He matched a franchise record with seven straight strikeouts from the second through the fourth and threw only 72 pitches over the first six innings, striking out nine.

But he ran into trouble in the seventh and was pulled after 6 2/3 innings trailing 2-1.

Semien ended Gilbert's bid for perfection with a sharp single up the middle that eluded the reach of shortstop Jose Caballero to open the inning.

Gilbert got help from his defense earlier. Josh Jung's long fly to center field was tracked down by Julio Rodriguez for the second out of the fifth. Jarred Kelenic made a leaping catch against the wall of Jonah Heim's foul ball down the left-field line to end that inning.

Second baseman Kolten Wong made a nice backhand stop to get Ezequiel Duran on a grounder up the middle leading off the sixth. Gilbert struck out Leody Taveras looking and got a foul popout from Sandy Leon.

The 26-year-old entered 1-1 with a 4.01 ERA in six starts this season.

Former Seattle ace Felix Hernandez is the last pitcher in the majors to throw a perfect game. That came on Aug. 15, 2012, against Tampa Bay.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports