Drew Smyly was cruising through a perfect game at Wrigley Field against the Dodgers, with the Cubs up 13-0. Everything looked under control until a weak swinging bunt from David Peralta in the eighth inning rolled down the third base line. Smyly charged in to field it, but just as he picked it up and turned to throw, catcher Yan Gomes collided with him. Both players hit the ground, and Peralta reached safely. Just like that, the perfect game was over. The moment looked chaotic live and was even stranger in slow motion, with Smyly rolling underneath Gomes mid-play.
The clip sparked debate on whether Smyly could have made the out if Gomes hadn’t run into him. A breakdown compared the play to others like it and even dug up footage from 2015 showing Smyly successfully fielding a similar swinging bunt. The analysis suggested this one would have been close. Peralta isn’t the fastest runner, and Smyly had the ball in hand quickly. But without a clean throwing lane and with his catcher laying on top of him, there was no chance. What should’ve been a defensive highlight turned into an awkward blooper and a rare way to lose a perfect game.