Buehrle Sets Record...and I Have the Scorecard!

I often keep score when I go to the ballgame. Not always, but often. I find it to be an elegant and satisfying art. Unfortunately, throughout the years I've discarded all of my scorecards, at one time or another. Some of these losses are very regrettable, and make me wish I were more of a pack rat--notably the scorecard from the game in which Eddie Murray collected his 3000th hit.

Well, I'm going to make it a point to hang on to this one.

Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle retired the first seventeen Minnesota Twins he faced last night (in a game attended by myself and my girlfriend). Combined with his perfect game against Tampa last week, he set a Major League record for consecutive batters retired, with 45.

Here's the scorecard:





As the article I link to above mentions, the record was broken when Joe Crede grounded out to short in the fifth. Alexi Casilla (of all people) finally broke the streak when he walked in the bottom of the sixth.

Immediately after walking Casilla, the wheels came off for Buehrle in a big way. Any time you give up a two-RBI hit to Nick Punto, you know something's going wrong. But I don't think this diminishes the accomplishment.

Anyway, it's pretty cool to have a scorecard from a game in which a reasonably important Major League Record was broken. If you've never scored a ballgame, I encourage you to learn how.