July 23 (Bloomberg) -- Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox became the 16th pitcher in Major League Baseball’s modern era to throw a perfect game, beating the American League champion Tampa Bay Rays 5-0.

Randy Johnson was the last pitcher to retire all 27 batters he faced, with Arizona on May 18, 2004. The last American Leaguer to accomplish the feat was David Cone with the New York Yankees on July 18, 1999.

“So much stuff has to happen to have a perfect game or no- hitter,” Buehrle, a four-time All-Star who previously threw a no-hitter for the White Sox in 2007, said during a news conference. “You just have to have everything go your way.”

Buehrle’s perfect game was preserved when Dewayne Wise stole a home run from Gabe Kapler for the first out of the ninth inning at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago.

Wise, who came into the game at the start of the inning as a defensive replacement, ran up the wall in left-center field to make the catch and then secured the ball with his throwing hand as he came back down to the ground.

“I was hoping it was staying in there, giving him enough room to catch it,” Buehrle said. “I was just hoping it didn’t have enough distance to get out of here.”

Buehrle then retired the final two batters, getting Jason Bartlett to ground out to shortstop for the final out. Buehrle put his glove on his head in disbelief and walked off the pitcher’s mound as his teammates ran onto the field to celebrate the team’s first perfect game since Charlie Robertson in 1922.

“From the get-go, every inning was three up, three down, but when you get to about the sixth or seventh inning, you start to think you have six to nine outs left and think you have a chance,” Buehrle said. “You start to get tired, but the adrenaline kicks in to get you through.”

Call From Obama

After speaking to the media, Buehrle left to take a congratulatory phone call from President Barack Obama, who’s a White Sox fan and wore the team’s jacket when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at baseball’s All-Star Game last week.

Obama learned of the perfect game via e-mail as his motorcade departed an event in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and called Buehrle while en route to a fundraiser in Chicago, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said.

“As a fan, it’s extraordinary,” Gibbs quoted Obama as saying. “When you’re a White Sox fan and know the guy who did it, it makes it even more fun.”

Buehrle is the sixth pitcher in major-league history to throw at least two no-hitters, including a perfect game. He joins Johnson, who is still playing, and Hall of Fame members Sandy Koufax, Jim Bunning, Addie Joss and Cy Young.

Buehrle threw 116 pitches to improve to 11-3 on the season for Chicago, which entered the day one game behind the first- place Detroit Tigers in the American League Central Division.

Buehrle’s perfect game comes 12 days after Jonathan Sanchez of the San Francisco Giants threw the season’s first no-hitter against San Diego.

To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski in New York at matuszewski@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: July 23, 2009 17:40 EDT