Updated: June 5, 2018
Photo by Keith Allison 
They’re called immaculate innings – striking out the side on nine consecutive pitches. Not that rare a feat – it’s been accomplished 84 times (by 78 different pitchers). Most recently yesterday (June 5, 2018), when the Nationals’ Max Scherzer did it in the sixth inning of hs 4-2 win over the Rays in Washington. Scherzer went into the sixth with a 4-0 lead and used just nine pitches to fan Johnny Field, Christian Arroyo and Daniel Robertson (all swinging at strike three). Scherzer, who picked up his tenth win of the season – against just one loss – went eight innings, giving up two runs on five hits, while walking none and fanning 13. It was a remarkable performance, even for the often remarkable Scherzer. He threw 99 pitches – and 88 were strikes; he started all but three of the 28 batters he faced with “strike one;” it made Scherzer the first pitcher to reach ten wins this season; and the performance kept him atop the MLB leader board in strikeouts (133 in 87 2/3 innings).
Sandy Koufax logged a record three immaculate innings.
While “Immaculate Innings” aren’t exceedingly rare, multiple Immaculate Innings are pretty unique. Scherzer, in fact, became just the fifth MLB pitcher to record two (or more) immaculate innings in a career – and he joined some pretty good company. Note: Scherzer’s first immaculate inning came on May 14 of last season (versus the Phillies.) On April 18, 1964, Sandy Koufax became the first (and still only) MLB pitcher to throw three immaculate innings in his career. Three other pitchers have tossed multiple (two each) immaculate innings and, like Koufax, they are all in the Hall of Fame: Lefty Grove – who did it for the Athletics; Nolan Ryan – Mets & Angels; and Randy Johnson – Astros & Diamondbacks. BBRT note: Nolan Ryan is the only pitcher to throw an immaculate inning in both the AL and NL. The Astros were in the NL when Johnson threw his for them.
SANDY KOUFAX TOSSED A RECORD THREE IMMACULATE INNINGS
Sandy Koufax’ third nine-strike, three-strikeout inning came in the third inning of a 3-0 loss to the Reds (April 18, 1964) in LA and his victims were the 7-8-9 hitters: SS Leo Cardenas, C Johnny Edwards and P Jim Maloney. Koufax gave up three runs on three hits and three walks (and six strikeouts) in that game.
Koufax’ third immaculate inning came almost a year-to-date after his second such inning. It happend on April 19, 1963 – when he fanned Houston Colt .45’s 3B Bob Aspromonte, C Jim Campbell and P Turk Farrell (yes, the 7-8-9 hitters again) in the fifth inning of a 2-0 home win over Houston. In that contest, Koufax went the distance in a two-hit, two-walk, 14-strikeout victory. The southpaw’s first immaculate inning came on June 30, 1962. That time, he worked the top, rather than the bottom, of the order. It came in the first inning of a 5-0 no-hit victory over the Mets (in LA) and the victims were LF Richie Ashburn, 3B Rod Kanehl and 2B Felix Mantilla. Koufax walked five and struck out 13 in what was the first of four career no-hitters.
Immaculate on the Big Stage
The only pitcher to throw a nine-pitch, three-strikeout inning in the World Series is the Royals’ Danny Jackson. On October 24, 1985, Jackson started Game Five of the Series against the Cardinals. He threw a complete-game, five-hitter in beating the Redbirds 6-1. He walked three and struck out five, including 3B Terry Pendelton, C Tom Nieto and PH Brian Harper on nine pitches in the seventh inning. Jackson had gone 14-12, 3.42 in the regular season He had taken the loss in Game One of the Series, despite giving up only two runs (four hits, two walks, seven strikeouts) in seven innings. His Game-Five win pulled the Royals to 3-2. They eventually won the series four games to three.
Pounding the Strike Zone
Photo by Keith Allison
On April 18, 2012, the Oakland Athletics’ Bartolo Colon had a stretch of 38 straight strikes (from the second pitch of the fifth inning to seventh pitch of the eighth). The stretch included 17 called strikes, 10 foul balls, 10 balls put into play – and, notably, only one swinging strike. Over the stretch, Colon recorded four ground outs, two strikeouts (one swinging), three fly outs, one pop out and two hits (a single and a double). For the game (he got the win), Colon went eight innings, giving up four hits and no runs, with no walks and five strikeouts. The A’s topped the Angels 6-0.
IMMACULATE EXTRA INNINGS
Only two immaculate innings have been thrown after the ninth inning:
- Sloppy Thurston, White Sox, August 22, 1923 … Thurston, who came on in the 11th inning, threw and immaculate 12th before giving up a run in the 13th and taking the loss in a 3-2 Athletics victory.
- Juan Perez, Phillies, July 8, 2011 … Perez came on (against the Braves) in the top of the tenth of a 2-2 game and fanned the side. The Phillies scored on a Raul Ibanez’ HR in the bottom of the inning to give Perez the win.
BBRT side note for Twins fans: While no Twin has ever thrown an immaculate inning, former-Twin LaTroy Hawkins tossed one for the Cubs (against the Marlins) on September 11, 2004. Hawkins came on in the ninth inning to save a 5-2 Cubs win and used just nine pitches to fan three tough hitters: 1B Jeff Conine, RF Juan Encarnacion and SS Alex Gonzalez. Here’s a list of pitchers who have thrown an immaculate inning while facing only three batters in a game – in the ninth inning unless otherwise noted:
- Jim Bunning, Tigers … August 2, 1959
- Doug Jones, Brewers … September 23, 1977
- Pedro Borbon, Reds … June 23, 1979
- Jeff Montgomery, Royals … April 29, 1990
- Stan Belinda, Royals … August 6, 1994
- Todd Worrell, Dodgers … August 13, 1995
- Ugueth Urbina, Expos … April 4, 2000
- Jason Isringhausen, Cardinals …. April 13, 2002
- Rafael Soriano, Rays … August 23, 2010
- Juan Perez, Phillies, 10th inning … July 8, 2011
- Steve Delabar, Blue Jays, 8th inning … July 30, 2013
- Rex Brothers, Rockies, 8th inning… June 14, 2014
- Sergio Casilla, Giants … May 7, 2015
- Drew Storen, Reds … April 18, 2017
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