OAKLAND -- Since the A’s were formed in 1901, there has been a bevy of spectacular performances from the many legends to play during the club’s stints in Philadelphia, Kansas City and Oakland. Hall of Famers like Lefty Grove and Catfish Hunter left their marks years ago. Then, at the turn of the 21st century, the “Big Three” of Barry Zito, Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder generated excitement as they tried to outdo each other on a nightly basis.

Let’s take a look at the top five single-game pitching performances in A’s history:

1) Catfish Hunter: perfect game vs. Twins on May 8, 1968
Dallas Braden’s perfect game on Mother’s Day was certainly special in its own right, and it gets its due below, but the dominance of Hunter’s perfecto puts it over the top. In a 4-0 win at the Coliseum, only twice did Hunter reach a three-ball count, striking out 11 batters in a Twins lineup that included future Hall of Famers Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew, as well as All-Star Tony Oliva.

Making the performance even more remarkable was Hunter’s contribution at the plate. He helped his own cause by going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, even roping a double off Dave Boswell in the third before providing some extra breathing room in the eighth with a two-run single. The perfect game was the first in A’s history and the ninth in MLB history.

2) Dallas Braden: Mother's Day perfect game vs. Rays on May 9, 2010
There might not be a more emotional moment in Oakland history than Braden’s perfecto. Pitching at the Coliseum on Mother's Day in front of his grandmother, Peggy Lindsey -- who raised Braden after his mother passed away from skin cancer when he was a high schooler -- the left-hander retired all 27 batters he faced on 109 pitches with six strikeouts.

The final out came on a 3-1 fastball that Gabe Kapler grounded to shortstop Cliff Pennington, who then fired the ball over to Daric Barton at first base to complete the historic feat. Braden received the customary dogpile on the mound from his teammates, then emerged from the bunch and pointed to the Coliseum's Section 209, which had become a fan club of sorts for the left-hander; 209 is the area code of Braden's hometown of Stockton, Calif.

As he made his way back to the A’s dugout, there was Lindsey, standing atop it. Braden spotted her and signaled to the security guard to allow her onto the field. The two ran to each other and embraced with a tear-filled hug.

“They got her down on the field, and that’s all I cared about. Getting her in my arms,” Braden said. “Obviously, then I started to appreciate what this meant.”

3) Jack Coombs: 24-inning complete game vs. Boston Americans on Sept. 1, 1906
In an era when it can be tough for starting pitchers to throw 24 innings in the span of a month, Coombs managed to do it in one game. That’s right, a 24-inning complete game. Coombs was entrenched in a pitching duel for the ages with Boston’s Joe Harris, who also went 24 innings. The A’s came out on top of this marathon, 4-1, and Coombs finished with 18 strikeouts. The 24 innings pitched by Coombs that day is a franchise record -- one we can safely say will never be broken.

4) Catfish Hunter: World Series Game 6 vs. Mets on Oct. 20, 1973
The A’s really had their backs against the wall in the 1973 World Series. Not only were they down in the series, 3-2, but they also had the daunting task of trying to beat Hall of Famer Tom Seaver to stay alive. Oakland had a powerful counter with Hunter, who would outduel Seaver to force a Game 7, which the A’s went on to win. Hunter tossed 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball and exited with a 2-0 lead before Rollie Fingers closed out the 3-1 win.

5) Dave Stewart: no-hitter vs. Blue Jays on June 29, 1990
Stewart’s intimidating stare was especially frightening to Blue Jays hitters, who were no-hit at the SkyDome in a 5-0 A’s win. Stewart issued only three walks and struck out 12 batters. Upon retiring Tony Fernandez for the final out, Stewart receiving a standing ovation from the Toronto crowd. Fun fact: Fernando Valenzuela tossed a no-hitter against the Cardinals later that night at Dodger Stadium.