David Wells pitched the 15th perfect game in baseball history in 1998. He started Game 1 of the World Series later that year in the Bronx against his hometown San Diego Padres. He picked up two rings, earned three All-Star Game invites and won 239 games during a 21-year career.
However, a game on this date — April 8 — in 2004 that Wells didn’t win ranks nearly as high as anything else on his résumé.
It meant that much to the Point Loma High grad when Padres manager Bruce Bochy and General Manager Kevin Towers aligned the schedule to have Wells open up the $450 million Petco Park on the fourth game of the season against the San Francisco Giants.