perfect game in MLB history, retiring all 27 batters, and allowing no hits, no runs, and no errors. Although he is known as a ground ball pitcher, he struck out 11, his most of the year and the most by a Phillies pitcher at that point in the season. The opposing pitcher, Josh Johnson, allowed seven hits, one walk, and an unearned run in seven innings. The unearned run came in the top of the third, when Chase Utley's line drive bounced off the glove of Florida center fielder Cameron Maybin, allowing Wilson Valdez to score from first. This was the only run scored in the game. Halladay's first pitch came at 7:17 pm, a called strike to Chris Coghlan off a 92 m.p.h. fastball on the outside corner. He threw 19 pitches in the first inning, his most of the night, and needed no more than 12 in any other inning except the seventh. In total, he threw 115 pitches, 72 for strikes. Halladay worked his way out of seven three-ball counts and six full counts, and credited the effectiveness of his sinker for his success. Of his 11 strikeouts, four came by way of sinkers. In the bottom of the ninth, pinch hitter Mike Lamb flied out deep to Shane Victorino in center field for the first out. The ball would have been a home run in many other ballparks, but did not carry out of Sun Life Stadium's cavernous center field. Halladay thought he had lost the perfect game when the ball was initially struck. Victorino later commented on flagging the ball down, "I was going to do whatever it took." For the second out, Wes Helms, another pinch hitter, struck out looking – the sixth batter to do so. In the game-ending play, Ronny Paulino was thrown a 1–2 curveball and hit a hard chopper to Juan Castro at third base; Castro reached wide to his left to grab the ball, spun and threw to first base to preserve the perfect game. It was the second such play made by Castro in the game. Castro had been chosen to start at third base over Greg Dobbs at the start of the game due to Dobbs's two-run error in Halladay's previous start. Halladay praised catcher Carlos Ruiz: I can't say enough about the job that Ruiz did tonight, really. I felt like he was calling a great