Pedro Martínez loses the perfect game and gets charged by Reggie Sanders, a breakdown
What Happened
The year is 1994 and young right-handed pitcher Pedro Martínez of the Montreal Expos is on the mound, making only his second start of the season. The 22-year-old Martínez, who was recently traded to the Expos from the Los Angeles Dodgers, is putting on a dominant performance, already six outs away from a perfect game against the visiting Cincinnati Reds. As Martínez takes the mound in the top of the ninth inning, the home crowd at Stade Olympique in Montreal is electric, eager to witness history. Reggie Sanders, the Reds' outfielder, steps into the batter's box, having already struck out twice against Martínez's blazing fastballs and "chin music" inside pitches. Tensions escalate as Martínez once again attempts to brush Sanders back, hitting him with the pitch. This ends Martínez's bid for a perfect game, but Sanders takes exception and charges the mound, throwing his glove at the young pitcher. The two players are quickly separated by their teammates and coaches, including Expos pitcher Grant Jackson and Reds outfielder Barry Larkin, who look on with a mix of surprise and disappointment. Despite the altercation, Martínez remains composed and goes on to complete the eighth inning, preserving his no-hit bid. In the ninth, he surrenders a ground ball single, ending his quest for a no-hitter, but the home crowd still warmly applauds his impressive outing. Martínez tips his cap to the fans, who have clearly embraced the young hurler in his early days with the Expos. The incident between Martínez and Sanders serves as a reminder that even with a historic performance on the line, tensions can boil over on the field. However, Martínez's poise and the Expos' fans' enthusiastic support demonstrate the passion and drama that make baseball such a captivating sport.
Why This Matters
Pedro Martinez is absolutely dealing with a perfect game going into the ninth inning of his second start as an Expo, but he's been throwing chin music at Reggie Sanders all night and Sanders is fed up. This is the moment it all boils over and a future Hall of Famer learns that sometimes you can't just brush guys back without consequences.
Nearly 490K people have watched this perfect game get absolutely ruined, making it one of the most viewed moments in Jomboy history at #619 all-time.
Key Moments
Who / What Is Involved
Players: Pedro Martínez, Reggie Sanders.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentit's april of 1994 young pedro martinez
is on the bump for the
expos i'm talking to young pedro
martinez he's only 22 years old here
he just got traded to the expos before
this season it's his second start of the
season
the fifth start of his career the
dodgers used him as a reliever the year
before
they traded him to montreal for delino
de shields and he is six
outs away from a perfect game
the home crowd eating it up he's putting
on a show and into the batter's box
steps reggie sanders
reggie sanders has struck him out twice
this game
but both times apparently pedro used
some uh
you know brush back chin music back him
down
fastballs high and in and sanders didn't
like it
reggie looked out at pedro stared at him
pedro stared right back
because you know how pedro is he didn't
like that so he steps into the box for
the third time
and pedro goes to brush him back again
ah [ __ ] he hits him
there goes the perfect game there it
goes
and there goes reggie sanders just
bombarding it towards pedro
throws the glove slap so sanders like he
tries to brush me back again i'm going
after him which is funny because a
perfect game there's no way he's trying
to hit him but i think sanders is saying
i don't care about that i just don't
want him thrown at me now this reminds
me of when my dog
used to do this to my grandma's dog just
put her in her place
you know i'm not going to fight you i'm
just going to make you realize you're
underneath me
i don't think that's what sanders was
going for i think he wanted to throw
punches
he didn't throw any punches he just kind
of you know
covered him up put put pedro underneath
him and like kind of tried to keep him
there
now we get into the whole dive in hold
back grant jackson and this dude best
friends but acting like they're holding
each other back really just like saying
what's up how's the family
everyone doing the dance get in get out
pull someone help someone act like
you're interested when you're not
interested
you know and then uh we got jackson's
good now
sanders is good he's just hanging out i
don't think there was a single
punch thrown you got thick mitchell
hands on the hips like what was that
barry larkin shaking his head like
we're getting no hit dude had a perfect
game he's embarrassing as you're gonna
charge them out and not even throw a
pitch
i don't know if that's why barry's
shaking his head but i get some people
are thinking it
some people are thinking it young pedro
tells coach oh i'm fine
oh yeah totally fine yeah he didn't even
throw a punch in me it's kind of weird i
did lose the perfect game though and
that sucked
kind of not excited about that this my
hat yeah that fits
youngblood joel youngblood quick aside
only player in history to get hits for
two different teams in two different
cities on the same day on august 4th
1982 he was playing for the mets he
started for the mets
he played four innings he had two
at-bats he had two rbis he had one hit
he gets traded to the montreal expos in
the middle of the day
they pull him out of that game they fly
him from chicago to philly
he enters the game in the sixth inning
gets a hit
wow joel youngblood what a name i think
it's a scandinavian name
almost can't believe it's real anyway
pedro martinez back in the bump he's got
to finish the eighth inning
he's got more to do he's still got a
no-hitter intact he gets through the
eighth inning after that altercation
and then in the ninth gives up that uh
cement ground ball
and it's over the no hitter's over but
did he just endear himself
to this montreal crowd second start ever
he goes perfect through seven and supton
tips his hat to the crowd
they're excited they love baseball no
way this team will ever leave them
and bam well high five for the mascot
pedro just yucking it up