After the Red Sox spent the top of the fifth inning in Tampa Bay absolutely crushing balls and taking names against the Rays to build a 6-nil lead, Rick Porcello took the mound to continue his gem of a night to that point.
Rick Porcello is the second Boston player of the season to throw an immaculate inning
Craig Kimbrel also threw one for the Red Sox all the way back in May.
Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images
Porcello then promptly threw an immaculate inning to further break the Rays’ spirit.
Three batters up, three batters down, with nothing but nine strikes to get the job done. Before letting up a one-run homer in the bottom of the sixth, Porcello had sent 14 batters in a row back to the bench with nothing to show for it.
He’s the eighth pitcher in the league to do so this season, including fellow Sox pitcher Craig Kimbrel, who threw one back on May 11.
Dellin Betances recently did it for the Yankees, which means three of the five pitchers to throw an immaculate inning this season belong to one half of one of the most enduring rivalry in the game.
Both teams might make the playoffs, but for Boston fans this marks another category where the Red Sox are in the lead in addition to that whole divisional race thing.
Too bad immaculate innings don’t really count toward playoff success, but it’s fun to have another one happen this season as it’s an impressive feat.
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