CHICAGO — Mark Buehrle pitched the 18th perfect game in major league history, and Chicago White Sox center fielder DeWayne Wise got the assist.

Just into the game as a defensive replacement, Wise robbed Gabe Kapler of a leadoff home run

in the ninth inning and Buehrle coolly closed out a 5-0 victory Thursday over the Tampa Bay

Rays.

Wise took over in center field from Scott Podsednik, who shifted to left. With the count 2-2,

Kapler hit a drive to deep left-center. Wise sprinted, jumped and got his glove above the

fence to rob Kapler of a home run.

The ball almost came out when Wise caromed off the fence, stumbled, fell to the ground and

rolled. But he bounced right up, proudly displaying the ball for the crowd in his bare left

hand.

"I was hoping it was staying in there, give him enough room to catch it. I know the guys were

doing everything they could to save the no-hitter, the perfect game, whatever it might be,"

Buehrle said.

Wise knew the stakes.

"I was with the Braves in '04 and I was there when Randy Johnson of the Diamondbacks pitched a

perfect game. So I've been on both sides of it," he said. "It was probably the best catch I've

ever made because of the circumstances.

"It was kind of crazy, man, because when I jumped, the ball hit my glove at the same time I

was hitting the wall. So I didn't realize I had caught it until I fell down and the ball was

coming out of my glove, so I reached out and grabbed it."

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was happy he made the switch.

"I guess that's our job," he said.

Michel Hernandez then struck out, and with fans chanting Buehrle's name, Jason Bartlett

grounded to shortstop. Buehrle put both hands on his head and was mobbed by teammates between

the mound and first base.

"I don't know if it's really sunk in yet. We have a short flight to Detroit. I'm sure it will

be a little hectic later," Buehrle said.

The pitcher had already received a congratulatory telephone call from President Barack Obama

— a White Sox fan — following the 16th perfect game since the modern era began in

1900 and the first since Johnson's on May 18, 2004.

Buehrle (11-3), backed by Josh Fields' second-inning grand slam, threw 76 of 116 pitches for

strikes and fanned six in his second no-hitter, helping Chicago move within a percentage point

of AL Central-leading Detroit.

In a 6-0 win over Texas on April 18, 2007, he also faced the minimum 27 batters. He walked

Sammy Sosa in the fifth inning of that game, then picked him off two pitches later.

"I bought everyone watches after the last one. That was an expensive no-hitter," Buehrle said.

"This one will probably be more expensive."

Before the ninth, Buehrle needed no great plays behind him. In the fourth, Evan Longoria hit a

line drive right at shortstop Alexei Ramirez. In the eighth, third baseman Gordon Beckham

didn't have to move to catch Pat Burrell's liner.

Buehrle went to three-ball counts on just four batters, including 3-0 to Bartlett in the

sixth. Bartlett took the next two pitches for strikes, fouled one off and then hit a routine

grounder to Ramirez. As the shortstop threw to first, those in the crowd of 28,036, sensing

history, cheered loudly.

With one out in the eighth, Ben Zobrist hit a weak grounder that just rolled foul and later

popped out on a 3-2 pitch. The next batter, Burrell, lined one just foul to left, with

third-base umpire Laz Diaz making an emphatic "foul" call. Burrell then lined out to third

moments later.

The 30-year-old left-hander became only the second pitcher to throw two no-hitters for the

White Sox: Frank Smith did it against Detroit in 1905 and the Philadelphia Athletics in 1908.

The only previous perfect game for the White Sox was by Charles Robertson at Detroit on April

30, 1922.

It was the second no-hitter against the Rays. Derek Lowe accomplished the feat for Boston on

April 27, 2002.

Scott Kazmir (4-6) allowed five runs and five hits in sixth innings. In addition to Fields'

grand slam, Ramirez hit an RBI double in the fifth.

Perfect games

A list of perfect games thrown in major league baseball history:

Mark Buehrle, Chicago (AL) vs. Tampa Bay, 5-0, July 23, 2009.

Randy Johnson, Arizona at Atlanta (NL), 2-0, May 18, 2004.

David Cone, New York (AL) vs. Montreal, 6-0, July 18, 1999.

David Wells, New York (AL) vs. Minnesota, 4-0, May 17, 1998.

Kenny Rogers, Texas vs. California (AL), 4-0, July 28, 1994.

Dennis Martinez, Montreal at Los Angeles (NL), 2-0, July 28, 1991.

Tom Browning, Cincinnati vs. Los Angeles (NL), 1-0, Sept. 16, 1988.

Mike Witt, California at Texas (AL), 1-0, Sept. 30, 1984.

Len Barker, Cleveland vs. Toronto (AL), 3-0, May 15, 1981.

Catfish Hunter, Oakland vs. Minnesota (AL), 4-0, May 8, 1968.

Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles vs. Chicago (NL), 1-0, Sept. 9, 1965.

Jim Bunning, Philadelphia at New York (NL), 6-0, June 21, 1964.

x-Don Larsen, New York (AL) vs. Brooklyn (NL), 2-0, Oct. 8, 1956.

Charles Robertson, Chicago at Detroit (AL), 2-0, April 30, 1922.

Addie Joss, Cleveland vs. Chicago (AL), 1-0, Oct. 2, 1908.

Cy Young, Boston vs. Philadelphia (AL), 3-0, May 5, 1904.

x-World Series