Boston's Payton Tolle pitches immaculate inning to open game against Kansas City

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Red Sox left-hander Payton Tolle pitched an immaculate inning to open Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals.

The 23-year-old left-hander threw a called third strike past Nick Loftin, then got Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone swinging in the nine-pitch inning.

Tolle became Boston's first pitcher to throw an immaculate inning opening a game since Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez at Fenway Park against Seattle on May 18, 2002.

“It was pretty cool. It was a pretty cool feeling,” Tolle said after the Red Sox beat the Royals 4-1 to take the series. “That was the first time, I think in high school I might have had a couple of opportunities at it. That was fun, that was cool.”

Caglianone was the only one to get his bat on a ball, fouling his first pitch to the left side.

When Tolle got two strikes on Caglianone, most of the fans rose and cheered loudly. Tolle pumped a fist when the strikeout and inning were complete after looking over at the dugout with a bit of a smile before the last pitch.

“I was definitely thinking about it,” he said. “I looked over at (pitching coach Andrew Bailey) and he was smiling, too.”

It was Boston's eighth immaculate inning, the second in the first inning and the sixth in MLB recorded history to open the game. Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax had the first recorded one on June 30, 1962.

Chris Sale had the most recent for the Red Sox on Aug. 26, 2021, at Fenway against Minnesota.

Tolle went six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and allowed four singles.

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