BOSTON (WHDH) – Red Sox rookie Payton Tolle Sunday became just the sixth pitcher in MLB history to throw an immaculate inning in the first inning of a game. An immaculate inning occurs when a pitcher records three strikeouts on nine pitches.
The 23-year-old lefty has quickly become a fan favorite through not only his pitching prowess, but by showcasing his infectious personality. On the eighth pitch of the inning, Tolle flashed a bright smile into the Red Sox dugout before getting Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone to strikeout swinging, completing the rare feat.
“We saw him smile towards the end and…said ‘oh my gosh it’s almost immaculate inning,’ and then he got it. And we were just floored,” said Caroline Stacey, a Red Sox fan from Maine. “Tolle is such a great player, he’s so fun to watch. Like, everything he does is just fun so it was really great to see him celebrate and have such an amazing accomplishment.”
The last Red Sox player to throw an immaculate inning at the start of a game was Hall-of-Famer Pedro Martinez in 2002. The then-30-year-old struck out three Mariners in a row on May 18.
“Unbelievable. Eighth in the history of the Red Sox is, I mean, unbelievable,” said Chris Molina, a Red Sox fan visiting Boston from Kansas.
After the game, Tolle said he hopes to ignite the team in any way he can.
“Trying to be the spark in whatever way I can. If that’s pitching or that’s offense, just trying to find that way is kind of what I want to do,” he explained.
It’s that spark that has him winning over the city of Boston as well as his teammates. Red Sox star outfielder Roman Anthony praised Tolle during an on field interview after the game on NESN.
“You see the amount of people that are behind him, and the energy he brings to Red Sox baseball and the city of Boston,” Anthony said. “Everyone around, they ride for him, and we feel that energy when he’s on the bump the minute he takes it. He’s such an amazing person, and an amazing teammate who’s there for us every single day, and whether he’s pitching or not he brings that energy. So it’s so fun to be behind him. He’s amazing.”
The manager of the Red Sox Team Store says they can barely keep his jersey stocked on the shelves as the demand has become so high.
“When you combine the talent that he has with the personality that he has – we’ve seen this before with certain guys like Johnny Damon, David Ortiz, who were big personalities and great players – I mean, that means he’s going to be a star for years to come,” said Tim Pettit, Manager of the Red Sox Team Store.
Following the immaculate inning, Tolle went on to throw five more scoreless innings, finishing with seven strikeouts. The Red Sox went on to beat the Royals 4-1 and secure the series win.
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