WATCH: Cubs starter Drew Smyly loses perfect game vs. Dodgers in eighth on swinging bunt, catcher collision

Smyly went seven innings before David Peralta dribbled a bunt down the third base line

The Chicago Cubs dismantled the Los Angeles Dodgers Friday afternoon in Wrigley Field. The final score was 13-0 Cubs and obviously there were plenty of offensive fireworks that should be highlighted, eventually. Cubs starter Drew Smyly, however, attempted to steal the show for a bit. 

Smyly had gotten through the Dodgers lineup for seven innings without having allowed a single baserunner. Yes, that's right. Smyly was throwing a perfect game. He still had six outs to go before history and then Dodgers left fielder David Peralta came to the plate. 

Peralta was sawed off with a curve and sent a broken-bat dribbler down the third-base line. Smyly attempted to field it himself, but catcher Yan Gomes was also on the case. The players ran into each other with Gomes rolling over a bent-over Smyly's back. Peralta made it to first without a throw. The ruling was an infield single. 

Obviously, we can't know for sure what would've happened had someone fielded it cleanly -- most likely Gomes letting Smyly try it on his own -- but it looked like either Peralta would've beat any throw or it would've been incredibly close at first. The numbers on the hit might be sad if they weren't so funny. Peralta hit it 32.9 miles per hour and the distance was measured at three feet. How's that for a single to break up a perfect game? 

"It was a tough play to end [the perfect game bid]," Smyly said afterward (via Paul Sullivan). "Yan wanted it just as bad as I did." 

Smyly stayed in the game and retired the next two hitters. What an incredible outing. The final line: 7 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K. And, of course, the lone hit was a dribbler with eyes. For those who didn't see much of the game, he was every bit as dominant as the line suggests. Sometimes there are a bunch of defensive plays that keep a pitcher perfect, but this time around it was just Smyly being in total control of the game and making Dodgers hitters look silly. 

Smyly threw 103 pitches and some might be wondering if he would've been able to complete the perfect game, given how workloads are handled these days. 

Cubs manager David Ross, a former catcher, came through with an outstanding quote on the matter after the game: "I was gonna ride him harder than Yan did." (via Jordan Bastian)

So, it sure seems like Smyly wasn't going anywhere if the perfect game were still intact.

The Cubs have 17 no-hitters in franchise history, with the most recent being a combined no-no in Dodger Stadium on June 24, 2001. The last no-hitter by an individual Cubs pitcher came on Sept. 13, 2020 when Alec Mills pulled it off in Milwaukee. A Cubs pitcher hasn't thrown a no-hitter in Wrigley Field since Milt Pappas did so in 1972. 

Now, as for a perfect game -- which is obviously a much rarer feat -- no Cubs pitcher has ever done it. There have only been 23 in MLB history. The most recent came a while back, too with Félix Hernández pulling it off in Seattle on Aug. 15, 2012. 

All of that stays on the books. 

Smyly's lone career shutout remains an outing from all the way back in 2014. 

The Cubs' offense had a ton of fun in this one, too. Seiya Suzuki's two-out, two-RBI double got the scoring started in the first. Leadoff man Nico Hoerner went 4 for 5 with a home run and four RBI. Patrick Wisdom hit his MLB-lead-tying ninth home run. Cody Bellinger stayed hot with a homer and a double. Trey Mancini went 3 for 4 with a home run. 

In all, the Cubs collected 17 hits and every starter had at least one. They moved to 12-7 on the season and look relevant again in the NL Central. 

[Apr 21, 2023 at 4:37 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

OK, so the perfect game is definitely over

A swinging bunt with a broken bat bleeds down the line and Smyly went to field it. In his zeal to grab the ball for his pitcher, catcher Yan Gomes ran into him and rolled over his back. No one had a chance at the runner. I'm going to assume it's a hit, too. 

[Apr 21, 2023 at 4:29 pm ET · Kate Feldman]

A rumination

It has to be easier on the pitcher to be staked to a 13-run lead, right? Or is there a risk he gets a little too relaxed? (Odds are like 99-1 on it being the former)

[Apr 21, 2023 at 4:24 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

93rd pitch ends the seventh

This matches Smyly's season high. He's six outs away. 

[Apr 21, 2023 at 4:24 pm ET · Kate Feldman]

No better time to be romantic than a perfect game

Is there anything more exciting than a lazy afternoon Friday baseball game with history on the line? Wrigley is glowing right now

[Apr 21, 2023 at 4:23 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Close call

After a Mookie Betts foul out, Smyly barely hit the top/inside part of the zone to strike Chris Taylor out on a 3-2 count. It was the right call. Two down in the seventh. 

[Apr 21, 2023 at 4:19 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Cubs having fun

To recap: 

• Nico Hoerner is 3-4 with a home runs and four RBI
  
• Ian Happ has a double and two runs scored
  
• Seiya Suzuki has a double and two RBI
• Patrick Wisdom has a double and homer and three RBI
• Cody Bellinger has a double and homer
  
• Trey Mancini is 3 for 4 with a homer and three RBI
  

And the story right now is the Cubs pitcher.