The Boston Red Sox kicked off their Sunday game against the Kansas City Royals with absolute perfection. In the very first inning, Red Sox starter Payton Tolle pulled off an immaculate inning, needing just nine pitches to dispatch the first three Royals batters. Nick Loftin went down looking, followed by Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone, both striking out swinging. Talk about a statement start!
A Rarity in Beantown History
This wasn’t just any good inning, folks. Tolle’s stellar work became only the eighth immaculate inning in the entire history of the Red Sox franchise. That’s a huge deal! The Boston Globe’s Tim Healey confirmed it, noting it was the first time a Boston pitcher achieved the feat since Chris Sale did it way back on August 26, 2021. This isn’t something you see every day, and Tolle owned that moment.
The Rise of the Nine-Pitcher
Across all of MLB, Tolle’s gem was just the 124th immaculate inning ever thrown. Think about that for a second, it is rarer than a no-hitter. What’s wild is we’re seeing more of them lately. It’s like pitchers are really honing their craft and dialing up the speed. Tolle’s wasn’t even the only one this week! Diamondbacks reliever Justin Martinez threw one just two days prior. In total, we’ve seen five immaculate innings this year: Michael Soroka of the D-backs on March 30, Gavin Williams from the Guardians on July 23, Taj Bradley of the Twins on August 25, then Martinez, and now Tolle.
This recent surge in immaculate innings is something to keep an eye on. Pitching is evolving, and these guys are pushing the limits of control and velocity. What ace will be next to join this exclusive club? It feels like we could see another one any day now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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