Matt Cain pitches storied Giants franchise to its first perfect game in its 130th year

SAN FRANCISCO – Matt Cain’s perfect game will be remembered among the most masterful pitching performances in regular-season baseball history, if not ever.

San Francisco’s right-hander dominated the Houston Astros every which way Wednesday night. He struck out 14 batters, making up more than half of his 27 straight outs and tying Sandy Koufax for most Ks in a perfecto. Cain threw 19 first-pitch strikes and never faced a 2-0 count.

He wound up with the first perfect game in the franchise’s storied 130-year history, its 14th no-hitter.

Team President and CEO Larry Baer and the rest of the brass must have been pinching themselves in delight a day later that they decided to reward the two-time All-Star with a $127.5 million, six-year contract days before the season began — richest for a right-hander.