Cardinals All-Star Nolan Arenado opened the bottom of the eighth inning with a clean line-drive single into left field off Mike Mayers to spoil a combined perfect game by Kansas City Royals pitchers Monday in St. Louis.
The Royals were working on what would have been the first combined perfect game in baseball history through seven innings.
Reliever Josh Staumont started the game as the opener and retired the three batters he faced. Mayers relieved him and retired the next 18 in order.
Royals outfielder Drew Waters kept the perfect game going with a diving catch of Tommy Edman's sinking liner into center field to end the sixth inning.
Major League Baseball hasn't seen a perfect game since Aug. 15, 2012, when the Seattle Mariners' Felix Hernandez did not allow a baserunner in a 1-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Royals have never been involved in a perfect game on either side. The franchise's last no-hitter was Aug. 26, 1991, when Bert Saberhagen yielded no hits against the Chicago White Sox.
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