Red Sox Hurler Admits He 'Definitely' Had Immaculate Inning on His Mind

Payton Tolle, a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, has a mindset that sets him apart from many of his teammates. When a pitcher accomplishes something unusual, like throwing an immaculate inning, the usual response is to suggest he wasn't thinking about the achievement while doing it. Tolle, however, admitted afterward that the potential of an immaculate inning was on his mind almost immediately.

He explained that after three straight strikes, the idea popped into his brain. He admitted that it was probably a bad thing to think about and that he needed to work on not thinking about such specifics. Despite this, Tolle went on to pitch six clean innings, striking out seven and allowing only four hits, before the Red Sox won their game against the Kansas City Royals with a score of 4-1.

This immaculate inning was the eighth in the history of the franchise, making it even more impressive considering the weather delays that caused the game to start at 4:55 p.m. ET. Tolle, who is 23 years old, has been known for his unique personality since joining the big leagues last year. His comments after the game, where he embraced catcher Adley Rutschman and laughed his way back to the dugout, were just a small part of his reaction to the feat that caught fans' eyes.

Tolle had never thrown an immaculate inning before, and he embraced the moment, enjoying the exceptional performance.