Tolle Opens Royals Game With Immaculate Inning
10 sourcesUpdated Sep 14, 2026
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After a nearly two-hour rain delay, Boston Red Sox pitcher Payton Tolle opened Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Royals on September 13, 2026, by striking out the side on nine pitches. He retired Nick Loftin, Bobby Witt Jr., and Jac Caglianone for an immaculate inning, using eight fastballs and one sinker. Seven pitches drew swings and misses; Caglianone fouled off the sinker and Loftin took a called third strike. Tolle then struck out Salvador Perez to begin the second inning, his fourth consecutive strikeout, before allowing a soft infield single to the fifth batter he faced. The performance was the Red Sox’s eighth immaculate inning in franchise history dating to 1901, the first since Chris Sale in 2021, and only the second thrown in a first inning after Pedro Martínez in 2002. Earlier Boston immaculate innings came from Sale twice in 2019, Rick Porcello and Craig Kimbrel in 2017, and Clay Buchholz in 2012.
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An immaculate inning to open things after a rain delay is exactly the kind of momentum the Red Sox needed.
Witt Jr. and Caglianone both looking bad on those pitches makes this feel like a statement start for Tolle.
Tolle using eight fastballs to strike out the side on nine pitches shows real command early in the game.
