THIS DAY IN BÉISBOL July 28: Dennis Martinez hurls perfect game vs. the Dodgers

On this day in baseball, July 28, 1991, Dennis Martinez of the Montreal Expos hurls the 13th perfect game in MLB history against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

The 2-0 gem by Martinez, a native of Granada, Nicaragua nicknamed El Presidente, made him the first Latino pitcher and first pitcher born outside the U.S. to toss a perfecto.

Martinez, 37, stymied the Dodgers on 96 pitches in a game rife with trivia tidbits. It was the second perfect game caught by Expos backstop Ron Hassey, who was behind the plate for the Indians in May 1981 when Len Barker threw a perfect game.

On the opposing mound, Dodgers starter Mike Morgan pitched a gem of his own, hurling a four-hitter and a complete game in a losing effort.

The game also turned Alfredo Griffin into an official bad-luck charm — it was the third time the Dodgers shortstop was on the losing end of a perfect game, including Barker’s game and Tom Browning’s perfect game in 1988.

Martinez, who enjoyed one of his best seasons in 1991 over his 23-year career, led the majors in ERA (2.39) and shutouts (5) that season.

Among Latino pitchers, Venezuela native Félix Hernández of the Mariners pitched a perfect game in 2012, followed by the Dominican Republic’s Domingo Germán, who pitched his perfect game in 2023 for the Yankees.