Nashville Sounds' Thomas Pannone Throws Perfect Game

Thomas Pannone on Monday became just the fifth player in International League baseball history to throw an individual nine-inning perfect game.

The Nashville Sounds left-hander struck out eight Durham batters in a 3-0 victory at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, needing just 94 pitches (61 strikes) to work his masterpiece. He threw no more than 12 pitches in any inning.

The 32-year-old Pannone became the first player in minor league baseball to toss an individual nine-inning perfect game in more than nine years, since Dominic Mazza did so for Augusta in April 2017.

It’s been more than 15 years since an International League pitcher last tossed an individual nine-inning perfect game, as Columbus’ Justin Germano last completed the rare feat in July 2011.

The outcome marked the third perfect game in Sounds history, with Pannone joining left-hander Manny Parra (2007 at Round Rock) and right-hander John Wasdin (2003 at Albuquerque) in the franchise record book.

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Pannone came dangerously close to losing his perfect game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. He worked a 3-0 count to Durham batter Homer Bush Jr., just the second three-ball count for Pannone since the second inning.

But after recording a fastball on the outer half of the plate for the first strike, Pannone got Bush to ground out to shortstop Eduardo Garcia, who threw to first baseman Blake Burke for the final out.

Pannone improved to 5-3 this season, lowering his ERA to 4.23 in 22 appearances, including 20 starts. In 220 minor league appearances overall (183 starts), Pannone is 61-48 with a 3.95 ERA.

A ninth-round pick of Cleveland in 2013, Pannone has a 7-8 record (5.47 ERA) in 51 major league appearances (14 starts) since making his MLB debut in 2018.

In 2022, Pannone — pitching for Toronto — took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against Baltimore in his first career MLB start. His most recent majors appearance came July 29 this season, when Pannone allowed three hits and three runs in three innings of the Milwaukee Brewers’ 16-3 loss to San Francisco.

Nashville, the parent club for which is Milwaukee, is 34-29 in the second half of the Triple-A season, trailing first-place Indianapolis by 3.5 games with 13 contests remaining.

The Sounds return to action Wednesday in Durham and will begin their final six-game home series Sept. 15 against Memphis.

This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.