page_title: Mark Buehrle
section_title: 2009–2011
hierarchical_section_title: Mark Buehrle / Major League career / Chicago White Sox (2000-2011) / 2009–2011
caption_attribution_description: White Sox at Orioles August 11, 2011
context_page_description: Mark Alan Buehrle is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He began his Major League Baseball career with the Chicago White Sox and started the opening game every season from 2002 to 2006 and again from 2008 to 2011. He also pitched for the Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays. Buehrle pitched 200 innings in 14 consecutive seasons, tying Hall-of-Famers Greg Maddux, Phil Niekro, and Christy Mathewson. He recorded at least ten wins in 15 straight seasons.
  Buehrle pitched a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers on April 18, 2007, surrendering just one walk to Sammy Sosa who was then picked off at first base. Two seasons later, Buehrle pitched the 18th perfect game in baseball history against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 23, 2009.
  In White Sox pitching history, Buehrle is fifth all-time in strikeouts, sixth in games started, and eighth in wins and innings pitched.
context_section_description: On June 14, 2009, Buehrle hit his first major league home run, off Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Braden Looper, becoming the first White Sox pitcher to hit a home run in a game since Jon Garland on June 18, 2006, at Cincinnati. On July 5, 2009, Buehrle was selected to represent Chicago at the 2009 All-Star Game, where he pitched a perfect third inning.
  On July 23, 2009, Buehrle threw a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays at U.S. Cellular Field. It was the eighteenth perfect game in MLB history and Buehrle's second career no-hitter. With the perfect game, Buehrle became the 24th pitcher to throw multiple no-hitters in a career, and the sixth perfect game pitcher who had also thrown another no-hitter, joining Cy Young, Addie Joss, Jim Bunning, Sandy Koufax, and Randy Johnson. (Roy Halladay would join them by pitching two no-hitters in 2010: a perfect game on May 29, and a second no-hitter on October 6, in the NLDS.) Coincidentally, the home plate umpire for both of Buehrle's no-hitters was Eric Cooper (who, coincidentally, shares Buehrle's number 56). He recorded the final out against Jason Bartlett on a ground ball to shortstop Alexei Ramírez. Earlier in the 9th inning, teammate DeWayne Wise, a defensive replacement, made a spectacular catch to rob Gabe Kapler of a home run and preserve the perfect game. Like his previous no-hitter, the game was completed in exactly two hours, three minutes. On July 28, his next appearance, Buehrle retired the first 17 batters he faced before finally allowing a baserunner in the sixth inning, setting an MLB record for consecutive outs at 45, which was later broken on August 28, 2014, by Yusmeiro Petit. Buehrle became only the third pitcher in MLB history (joining Cy Young and Sandy Koufax) to have a no-hitter, a perfect game, and a World Series title with the same team – a feat Buehrle accomplished with the White Sox in 2005 (World Series), 2007 (no-hitter), and 2009 (perfect game).
  Illinois Governor Pat Quinn declared July 30, 2009 "Mark Buehrle Day". Prior to the game against the New York Yankees, Buehrle was given a plaque to commemorate the occasion. In September 2009, the July 23 perfect game received the Sporting News Performance of the Decade award.
  In November 2009, Buehrle was selected for his first career Gold Glove Award. He also was honored with a Fielding Bible Award for his statistically based defensive excellence during the year.
  On April 5, 2010, Buehrle made his eighth career opening day start, setting a franchise record. In that game he threw ​7 ¹⁄₃ shutout innings against the Cleveland Indians and also made an incredible play which involved him flipping the ball to first base between his legs with his glove. After this play, Web Gems on Baseball Tonight added the "Buehrle-Meter", in which they compare the day's best play to the degree of difficulty of Buehrle's. The "Buehrle-Meter" is used daily on Baseball Tonight and was proposed as an idea by Baseball Tonight's John Kruk. On August 3, 2010, Buehrle won his tenth game of the season against the Detroit Tigers pitching 7​²⁄₃ innings allowing 2 earned runs on seven hits and striking out one batter in a 12–2 blowout. The win marked his tenth consecutive season of at least 10 wins.
  In November 2010, Buehrle was selected with his second career Gold Glove Award. He is the only pitcher in MLB history to throw multiple no-hitters and win multiple Gold Gloves. He also won his second consecutive Fielding Bible Award. He followed up with his third Fielding Bible and Gold Glove Awards in 2011.
  In twelve seasons with the White Sox, Buehrle was 161-119, with a 3.83 ERA, appearing in four All-Star Games.
caption: Buehrle pitching for the Chicago White Sox in 2011.
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