Giants' Petit just shy of perfection

San Francisco's Yusmeiro Petit came within one out of pitching a perfect game, Eric Chavez's two-out single in the ninth inning spoiling his bid for the rare feat. Petit, who had never pitched a complete game in the major leagues, retired the first 26 Arizona batters he faced before pinch-hitter Chavez came to the plate. Chavez worked a full count, the belted a fastball into right field that dropped in front of Hunter Pence. Petit shook off his disappointment, and induced A.J. Pollock to ground out to third to end the Giants' 3-0 victory over the Diamondbacks. "I was never thinking of what was happening in the game," Petit said of his chance of pitching just the 24th perfect game in major league history. He acknowledged he could be heading for history after he got the last two outs of the sixth inning. From there, he said, "I just wanted to keep throwing good pitches. I'm just happy that I'm up here and hope I can stay." The 28-year-old Venezuelan was looking to join Matt Cain as the only other Giant to throw a perfect game. Cain's came on June 13 of last year against Houston. Petit threw only 95 pitches, 69 of them for strikes, and struck out seven. "It was a beautiful game and a tremendous display of pitching," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. "I couldn't be happier for him. He's been fighting his way to get up here and has been trying to send a message that he belongs here. That game tonight was very impressive with how he pounded the strike zone on both sides. He had 25 guys pulling for him so hard out there." Source: AFP