We let the Matt Cain hype die down slightly this morning before we posted something. It also helped to wait while every bit of historical information is available, to find the interesting, odd and fun facts about Cain’s dance with perfection Wednesday night.

According to Elias Sports Bureau …

• Matt Cain struck out 14 batters on Wednesday, tying the most in a perfect game - Sandy Koufax had 14 strikeouts against the Cubs on Sept. 9, 1965. Before Wednesday, the last pitcher with 14 or more strikeouts in a no-hitter was Nolan Ryan, who had 16 against the Blue Jays on May 1, 1991. (Ryan had 14 or more strikeouts in four of his seven no-hitters.)
• The Giants scored 10 runs for Cain when he least needed it. San Francisco had scored 10 or more runs in only six of Cain’s previous 215 starts for the Giants, and his average career run support entering the night - 3.75 runs per game - was the lowest among pitchers with at least 150 starts since 2005, when Cain joined the big leagues. No previous team had scored more than six runs in support of a perfect-game pitcher. 
• One of those runs was scored by Cain himself - he’s the first pitcher to score a run in a perfect game.
• There have now been five perfect games in the last four seasons - by Cain, Philip Humber, Roy Halladay, Dallas Braden and Mark Buehrle (and don’t forget Armando Galarraga’s near-perfect night in 2010) - as many as there were in the first 88 seasons of major-league history (1876 through 1963).
• There have been three no-hitters in the last 13 days: Johan Santana against the Cardinals on June 1, the Mariners’ group effort versus the Dodgers on June 8 and Cain on Wednesday. 
• It’s the first time since 1917 that there have been three no-hitters in a span of less than two weeks. From May 2-6, 1917 there were three no-hitters (Fred Toney, Ernie Koob and Bob Groom).
• Cain threw a perfect game with 14 strikeouts; R.A. Dickey struck out 12, allowed no walks and no earned runs; and Lance Lynn struck out 12, walked one, and did not allow an earned run. It’s the first time since the major leagues have been tracking earned runs that three pitchers didn’t allow an earned run while striking out 12 and walking no more than one batter on the same night.

According to ESPN …

• Ted Barrett was behind the plate Wednesday night when Cain pitched a perfect. He also was the home plate umpire when David Cone threw his perfect game for the New York Yankees in a 6-0 win over the Montreal Expos on July 18, 1999. It makes Barrett the first major league umpire to call balls and strikes for two perfect games.
• Brian Runge, who was at third base for Cain’s gem, was behind the plate when six Seattle pitchers combined for a 1-0 no-hit win over the Los Angeles Dodgers last week and for Philip Humber’s perfect game for the Chicago White Sox against the Mariners on April 21.

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-Compiled by Chris R. Vaccaro

Roy Halladay had his bout with perfection on May 29, 2010, throwing the 20th perfect game in baseball history as the Phillies beat the Florida Marlins, 1-0, at Sun Life Stadium.

Halladay recorded 11 strikeouts in the victory.

According to multiple reports, Phillies play-by-play broadcaster Tom McCarthy did not mention the would-be perfect game until after the final out.

His call of the final play went something like this: “Everybody on their feet. Halladay has got his signs. The 1-2 pitch. Hit toward third, Castro has it. Spins, fires—a perfect game! Roy Halladay has thrown the second perfect game in Philadelphia Phillies history! He faces 27 batters, he retires all 27! It’s the 20th perfect game in baseball history.”

To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today and follow us on Twitter @ToppsPennant.

-Chris R. Vaccaro

We suspect this will be a lot harder in future months, but we had it made when Philip Humber threw a perfect game.

Each month we’ll highlight a “box score of the month” with either a unique historic or statistical angle.

In honor of Humber’s gem - the 21st perfect game in Major League history - he gets the nod this month.

To have an inside look at baseball history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today.

-Chris R. Vaccaro

White Sox pitcher Philip Humber made an appearance on the “Late Show” with David Letterman Monday night to celebrate his perfect game.

After spending a couple of minutes discussing his pitches – he topped out at 94 mph on his fastball – they had the usual give and take about the historical moment.

“If I were you, I’d retire now,” Letterman quipped.

Humber’s short stay with the Mets came up briefly as Letterman asked how that went.

“Apparently not too well,” Humber said, “they got rid of me.”

Humber then read off the ceremonial “Top 10” list of “thoughts that went through his head during the perfect game.”

We won’t spoil the Top 10 without you watching the video clip here, but one of our favorites is No. 7: “Thank goodness I drafted myself for my fantasy team.”

-Chris R. Vaccaro

Prior to Saturday’s pitching gem, Philip Humber had never thrown a complete game in his 29 previous Major League starts. So Humber rang in the distance game on the mound with the grandest of performances, throwing the 21^st perfect game in baseball history.

Humber threw 96 pitches and struck out 9 in the 4-0 victory over Seattle at Safeco Field. This was the first perfect game since Roy Halladay achieved the honor with the Phillies in 2010 against the Marlins.

While teams like the Mets, who traded Humber to Minnesota in the deal for Johan Santana in 2008, have never thrown a no-hitter, let alone a perfect game, the White Sox have had success in recent years with outstanding pitching performances. Former White Sox great Mark Buehrle, now a starter with the Marlins, met his match with perfection in 2009 against the Rays. Way back in 1922, Charlie Robertson also threw a perfect game for the White Sox against the Tigers.

Humber, now 1-0 in two starts this season, was a first round draft pick by the Mets in 2004 and is the seventh ex-Met to throw a no-hitter or perfect game.

To see a complete list of all 21 perfect games in baseball history, click here.

To have an inside look at history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today.

-Chris R. Vaccaro