Payton Tolle throws immaculate inning for Red Sox — SkimNews
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- Payton Tolle struck out Nick Loftin (called third strike), Bobby Witt Jr. (swinging) and Jac Caglianone (swinging) on nine pitches to open Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals
- Tolle became the first Red Sox pitcher to throw an immaculate inning opening a game since Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez against Seattle on May 18, 2002, at Fenway Park
- Caglianone was the only batter to make contact, fouling his first pitch to the left side, and most of the crowd rose and cheered when Tolle reached two strikes
- Tolle pumped a fist after the final strikeout, capping a 23-year-old left-hander's memorable outing against Kansas City
- It was Boston's eighth immaculate inning overall and just the second to come in the first inning
- Former Red Sox lefty Chris Sale had the franchise's most recent immaculate inning on Aug. 26, 2021, at Fenway against Minnesota
Why it matters: A 23-year-old left-hander matched a feat last accomplished by Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez 23 years ago, instantly placing Tolle in rare Red Sox company. An immaculate inning is rare enough — doing it in the first three pitches of a game puts Tolle in a club that, until Sunday, had just one member in franchise history.
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