A perfect 10

Kirk Rueter with the Expos on the road

In a 3-2 decision in Montreal, Expos left-hander Kirk Rueter beats the San Diego Padres 30 years ago today to become the first pitcher since Fernando Valenzuela in 1981 to begin his major league career with a 10-0 record.

Rueter works the first 7 1/3 innings, allowing just six hits while striking out seven and walking none.

The ever-efficient Rueter, who is 8-0 as a rookie in 1993, throws strikes on 58 of his 83 pitches during a Friday night game before a crowd of 15,114 at Olympic Stadium.

Kirk Rueter with Harrisburg in 1993

Rueter follows this game with three straight no decisions before finally losing on May 21, 1994 at Pittsburgh. In that game, Rueter allows only two runs in six-plus innings before the Expos’ bullpen gives up four runs in the eighth inning of a 6-0 loss to the Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium.

The fast-working, soft-tossing Rueter, also pictured here in 1993 with the Class AA Harrisburg Senators, lasts in the majors until 2005, retiring after 13 seasons with a record of 130-92 and a .586 winning percentage.

Not bad for a pitcher who opens the 1993 season in Class AA as the No. 4 starter in a Harrisburg rotation featuring four other future major leaguers in Gabe White, Joey Eischen, Reid Cornelius and Miguel Batista.