NL Central:
Among the five current NL Central teams, only the Cincinnati Reds have enjoyed a perfect game. Tom Browning threw it, beating the Dodgers 1-0 in 1988.
Cubs: Famously in Cubs lore, Milt Pappas in September of 1972 retired the first 26 San Diego Padres he faced, then got two strikes on pinch hitter Dave Stahl, only to walk him on 2-2 and 3-2 pitches that Pappas long claimed should have been strikes. Plate umpire Bruce Froemming disagreed. Pappas got the mere no-hitter when Gary Jestadt popped out seconds later.
Cardinals: Facing the Dodgers Sept. 21, 1934 in one of a staggering 23 doubleheaders they played that season, Dizzy Dean won his 27th of an eventual 30 games in the opener. Dizzy allowed just three hits. In the second game at Ebbets Field, Paul Dean went his older brother a bit better. Paul allowed a two-out first inning walk to Len Koenicke, then retired the final 25 Dodgers he faced for a no-hitter.
Dizzy was unimpressed. “If I had known Paul was gonna throw a no-hitter, I’d have thrown one myself,” he told reporters after the sweep.
Pirates: Officially, what Harvey Haddix did against Lou Burdette and the Milwaukee Braves on May 26, 1959 at County Stadium does not go down as a perfect game … but it’s a safe bet nobody will ever come closer. Haddix pitched nine perfect innings that night, then because the game was scoreless he pitched a 10th and an 11th and a 12th.
In the home half of the 13th, Braves hitter Felix Mantilla reached when third baseman Don Hoak botched the throw to first. A sacrifice and an intentional walk of Henry Aaron followed, then Joe Adcock ended the game with what initially looked like a home run. Because Aaron stopped running and Adcock passed him between second and third, Adcock was awarded only the two bases, but those were good enough to end the game 1-0.
Brewers: On Sept. 11, 2021, on his way to a Cy Young Award, Corbin Burnes retired the first 18 Cleveland Indians he faced. After Myles Straw led off the seventh by drawing a walk, Burnes set down six more in a row before being replaced by closer Josh Hader to start the ninth. With a 3-0 lead, Hader brushed aside the final three Cleveland batters to preserve the no-hitter and near-perfect game.