On September 16, 1988, Tom Browning of the Cincinnati Reds pitched the 12th perfect game in Major League Baseball (MLB) history, blanking the Los Angeles Dodgers 1–0 at Riverfront Stadium.

[1] It is widely considered by sportswriters to be the hardest single-game accomplishment in the sport, as it requires an incredible pitching performance, defensive support, and immense luck to pull off.

[1] Prior to Browning's perfect game, the most recent occurrence was in 1984, when Mike Witt of the California Angels threw one against the Texas Rangers.

In the top of the seventh inning, Dodger left fielder Kirk Gibson was ejected by home plate umpire Jim Quick after striking out.

Facing pinch hitter Tracy Woodson, Browning recorded his seventh strikeout of the evening, completing the perfect game.

[8][9] Browning threw 70 of his 102 pitches for strikes with Catcher Jeff Reed behind the plate[10] and did not run the count to three balls on a single Dodger hitter.

John Franco then relieved Browning and got Lenny Dykstra to hit into a game-ending double play, giving the Reds a 2–1 win.