SEATTLE -- Wednesday afternoon at Safeco Field, Seattle Mariners right-hander Felix Hernandez threw a perfect game, retiring all 27 Tampa Bay Rays that he faced on his way to a 1-0 victory.

It's long seemed just a matter of time for "King Felix", who's been one of the American League's premier starting pitchers since joining the Mariners seven years ago. But Hernández had never pitched a no-hitter.

His closest call came back in 2007, when he pitched a one-hitter against the Red Sox in 2007; that was a close one, as the Sox didn't collect their lone hit until J.D. Drew led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a clean single up the middle.

Just 11 days ago, Hernández pitched one of the best games in his career, a two-hit shutout at Yankee Stadium. But he followed that with a humdrum outing against the Angels, giving up five runs in seven innings.

Wednesday's perfect game included barely a hiccup. In the top of the fourth inning, Sam Fuld slapped a line drive to third baseman Kyle Seager. In the seventh, Hernández quickly retired the first two Rays, which brought up Matt Joyce. Hernández's first pitch was a high fastball, probably three or four inches outside. Plate umpire Rob Drake called the pitch a strike, Rays manager Joe Maddon popped out of the dugout and immediately drew his seventh ejection of this season. Maddon argued for a few minutes, after which Hernández got back to work and retired Joyce on a grounder to first base.

He breezed through the eighth inning, striking out Evan Longoria, Ben Zobrist, and Carlos Peña. That last strikeout, Hernández's 10th in the game, brought a huge roar from the 21,000-some fans in the stands.

Entering the ninth inning, Hernández still had just the 1-0 lead, as Jeremy Hellickson pitched seven strong innings for the Rays and reliever Kyle Farnsworth pitched a perfect eighth. Hernández would face the bottom of Tampa Bay's order: pinch-hitter Desmond Jennings, pinch-hitter Jeff Keppinger, and third baseman Sean Rodriguez.

Hernández struck out Jennings.

Hernández retired Keppinger on an easy grounder to shortstop.

Hernández struck out Rodriguez on a sinker down the middle.

At 3:02 Pacific Daylight Time, it was finished.

In pitching the most brilliant game of his brilliant career, Hernández became the third pitcher this season to throw a perfect game. And that's never happened before.