On This Date in Sports May 15, 1981: Perfection by the Lake

In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com

Len Barker of the Cleveland Indians hurls the tenth Perfect Game in MLB history, blanking the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0 at Municipal Stadium. It is the first Perfect Game since 1968. Barker struck out 11 Blue Jays, all of whom went down swinging on a foggy night in Cleveland. It is the most recent no-hitter thrown by the Indians, who now have the longest drought without a no-hitter at 40 years.

It was an uncharacteristically good start for the Cleveland Indians, who stood in first place in mid-May at 15-8 for manager Dave Garcia. The Toronto Blue Jays were at the opposite end of the spectrum, dead last at 10-21 for manager Bobby Mattick. Len Barker got the start for Cleveland, while Luis Leal started for the Blue Jays. 

After Len Barker got the first three batters on the ground, the Indians did not waste any time getting runs on the board. Cleveland played two runs in the first, helped by an error by Toronto first baseman, John Mayberry. Following the error, Andre Thornton hit a sac-fly that scored Rick Manning, while Ron Hassey drove in Mike Hargrove. 

As Len Barker sawed his way through the Blue Jays, Leal settled in and did not allow another run until the eighth inning, when Jorge Orta hit a home run. As the game went deeper, Barker got stronger, fanning seven of the final 11 batters. In the ninth inning, Rick Bossetti had a harmless flyout to Toby Harrah at third. Al Woods followed with a strikeout after pinch-hitting for Danny Ainge. Ernie Whitt, batting for Buck Martinez, made the final out with a fly out to Manning in centerfield. 

It was the first Perfect Game in MLB since Catfish Hunter with the Oakland Athletics in 1968. Ron Hassey, the catcher in the game, would become the only catcher to be behind the plate for two perfect games when he caught a perfect game by Dennis Martinez of the Montreal Expos in 1981.