Ageless Pitcher Bartolo Colon Takes Perfect Game Into the Eighth Inning

After compiling a 15-8 record with a 3.48 ERA for the New York Mets in 2016, right-hander Bartolo Colon fell off to 7-14 with a 6.48 ERA with the Twins and Braves in 2017. The conventional wisdom would be that it was the end of the 44 year old’s big league career that began in 1997 with the Cleveland Indians. It had been a good one, too, with 240 victories highlighted by a 21-8 record with a 3.48 ERA in 2005 with the Los Angeles Angels, which won Colon the American League Cy Young Award that year.

The Texas Rangers took a flyer on Colon this spring, signing him to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. While the Rangers didn’t break camp with him on their roster, he was almost immediately brought up for use as a spot starter and reliever. When starter Doug Fister went on the disabled list, Colon was inserted into the rotation to fill in for him.

Colon made the most of his chance. On April 15th, he retired the first 21 Houston Astros he faced. He then gave up a walk to Carlos Correa to open the eighth inning to end the perfect game, followed by a Josh Reddick double that ended the no hitter. Colon ended the evening with 7 2/3 innings pitched, with one hit, one earned run, and seven strikeouts, and lowered his ERA to 1.45 in 18 2/3 innings this season. If he had been able to complete either the perfect game or no hitter, he would have been the oldest pitcher in major league history to pitch such a game. Colon will turn 45 in May.

Colon’s performance overshadowed an outstanding one by Astros starter Justin Verlander. He also allowed just one run and one hit. Verlander pitched eight innings and struck out 11. Neither pitcher got a decision; the Rangers won the game 3-1 in 10 innings.