BOSTON: Chris Sale, one of the Red Sox, joined Hall of Fame Sandy Koufax as the only registered pitchers with three immaculate innings when he pitched the winger in nine pitches in the third inning of Thursday night’s win for 12-2 over the Minnesota Twins.
Sale was making his third start in Boston since returning from Tommy John surgery, which left him out throughout the 2020 season.
He destroyed Nick Gordon, Andrelton Simmons and Rob Refsnyder in three pitches each. Refsnyder was severely fooled by a slider on the ground on the last throw of the inning.
“Today has been probably the best my mechanics have been from start to finish. I felt like I was at the top of baseball. I really found it in the runner before the game,” said Sale, who improved to 3-0. with an ERA of 2.35 after the victory.
Sale’s other immaculate entries separated by less than a month in 2019 when he did so against Baltimore on May 8 and Kansas City on June 5. He is the first pitcher to throw an immaculate entrance into Fenway Park from Pedro Martinez on May 18, 2002 against the Mariners.
Koufax completed his immaculate entry into the Los Angeles Dodgers between 1962 and 1964.
Sale is the first pitcher since 2000 with three immaculate innings; Kevin Gausman and Max Scherzer tie for second place in this stretch with two feet.
MLB’s lack of pitch by pitch stats at various points in its history means there may be other pitchers reaching three or more immaculate innings.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.