MLB history: What team has had the most perfect games thrown against it?

In the history of Major League Baseball, 23 perfect games have been thrown. While we often focus on the pitchers who throw the perfect games, in this article, we will look at the franchise that has been the victim of the most perfect games in MLB history.

The Tampa Bay Rays have had three perfect games thrown against them, the most of any team in MLB history

Even though the Tampa Bay Rays have only been in existence since 1998, the franchise has surrendered three perfect games, the most of any MLB team in history. As a side note, all three of the perfect games were surrendered in the span of roughly four years.

Here is a brief look at each of the three prefect games thrown against Tampa Bay.

Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox throws a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays

The first perfect game thrown against the Rays happened on July 23, 2009, when Mark Buehrle etched his name in the record books with a 5-0 victory. While Buehrle struck out six Rays, the game is often remembered for the ninth-inning highlight-reel catch from outfielder Dewayne Wise (robbing current San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler of a home run) that kept the perfect game intact.

Dallas Braden of the Oakland A’s throws a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays

Less than one year later, on May 9, 2010, Dallas Braden of the Oakland A’s logged a perfect game with a 4-0 decision over Tampa Bay. Later that month, on May 29, Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies would throw a perfect game against Tampa Bay’s Sunshine State cousins, the Florida Marlins. It would mark the first time since 1880 that two perfect games were thrown in the same season.

Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners throws a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays

The third and final time the Rays have been the victim of a perfect game also marks the last time that a perfect game has been thrown by a Major League pitcher. On August 15, 2012, Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners tossed a 1-0 perfect game. It was the third time in the 2012 season that a perfect game had been thrown (the most ever in one season) and the second time that Seattle had witnessed a perfect game that year (Philip Humber of the Chicago White Sox threw one against the Mariners in a 4-0 win on April 21).

Want to know more about the 23 perfect games that have been thrown in MLB history? Check out these interesting facts about them.