Matt Cain’s perfect game: What they’re writing

Here's what some are writing about Matt Cain's dance with history on Wednesday:

Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle: "In an era in which nine-inning performances are rare, and pitchers tend to wear down after a long night, Cain seemed to be gathering steam. He was unleashing fastballs in the mid-90-mph range to the finish, always in harmony with his catcher, Buster Posey. 'Everything about the defense allowed me to go and pitch comfortably,' he said. 'I can't thank Buster enough. I never questioned him once. He was going to have me throw whatever he wanted, and I was gonna let him go.'"

Tim Brown, Yahoo! Sports: "Cain had carried five no-hitters into the seventh inning. He more frequently had what folks call 'no-hit stuff,' on nights no-hitters died with single flashes of the bat but without real authority. But on a night warm enough that he pitched bare-armed and sweated through his cream-colored home uniform, Cain ended all that. He threw a game that drew comparisons to one of the iconic games ever thrown. Sandy Koufax struck out 14 Chicago Cubs in his perfect game of 1965, the last of four no-hitters he threw in his career, and perhaps the most dominant."

David Schoenfield, ESPN's Sweet Spot: "Why do we check those West Coast box scores one last time? Because we do ... I saw the 12 up, 12 down that Matt Cain had through four innings. Figured, 'Hey, it's the Astros. I'll see what's going on.' Flipped the game on in the bottom of the fourth, watched Cain destroy J.D. Martinez and Brett Wallace and Chris Johnson with an array of nasty pitches in the top of the fifth and immediately thought: He has a chance."

Grant Brisbee, McCovey Chronicles: "The look that Cain gave after Melky's catch of Chris Snyder's fly ball in the sixth. It was almost childlike. Cain was goofily enthusiastic about the Blanco catch, too. But the first time you could see how much Cain wanted it was after Melky's catch."

Jon Morosi, Fox Sports: "As the hour grew late and history beckoned, Cain pitched in a way that made you think the bigger surprise would have been if he didn't get the 27th out. It wasn't easy. It never is. And yet Cain looked comfortable, the way Roy Halladay did in his masterpiece against the Marlins two years ago. That's a high compliment — and a fair one, too."

Dave Tobener, Golden Gate Giants: "When it was over, I hugged my Dad, I hugged the guy in front of me, I hugged the guy behind me, and I might've hugged other random people in the stands; I honestly don't remember. The exact moment is a blur: groundball to third, Arias staggering back, the throw, eruption, euphoria. And hugging. Lots and lots of hugging.
Honestly, I'm having a hard time collecting my thoughts tonight. It's humbling to realize you've been a witness to real, actual history, something that hasn't happened ever before to a franchise that's 128 years old."

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