Boston Red Sox rookie left-hander Payton Tolle threw an immaculate inning to open his rain-delayed start against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, retiring the top three batters on just nine pitches at Fenway Park. The 23-year-old capped the feat by striking out Jac Caglianone, becoming the first Red Sox pitcher to do so since Chris Sale in 2021 and the first to achieve it in a game's opening inning since Pedro Martinez in 2002. The performance underscores Tolle's strong rookie campaign as Boston fights for an American League wild-card spot.

The immaculate inning was the 125th in MLB history and only the eighth by a Red Sox pitcher since 1901, achieved with eight four-seam fastballs and one sinker. Tolle went on to pitch six shutout innings, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out seven across 96 pitches in a 4-1 win, lifting his rookie-season strikeout total to 166, second in club history behind Daisuke Matsuzaka's 201 in 2007. The outing came a day after Tolle voiced old-school views on pitching, saying he wants to throw complete games rather than be limited by modern pitch-count restrictions.