What Is An Immaculate Inning In Baseball?

In baseball, an immaculate inning is when a pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in an inning, on three pitches each. It’s a rare feat, and it’s only happened a few times in MLB history.

Definition of an Immaculate Inning

In baseball, an immaculate inning is defined as an inning in which the pitcher strikes out all three batters faced. It is a rare feat, and it requires both skill and a little bit of luck.

Three strikeouts in an inning

In baseball, an immaculate inning is an inning in which a pitcher strikes out all three batters faced. It is a rare feat, having been achieved only 49 times in MLB history as of July 2020. The immaculate inning requires that all three strikeouts be swinging, as opposed to looking. A looking strikeout does not count towards an immaculate inning.

No pitches hit the batter

In baseball, an immaculate inning is when a pitcher strikes out all three batters in an inning, all on strikes, and all on pitches that were not put into play. This feat is relatively rare; as of 2019, there have been only 72 documented cases in Major League Baseball history.

The immaculate inning is sometimes confused with the perfect game, which is when a pitcher does not allow any batters to reach base safely for the entire game. The two feats are unrelated; it is possible to have an immaculate inning within a game that is otherwise imperfect.

No walks

In baseball, an immaculate inning is an inning pitched by a relief pitcher in which no batters reach base. A relief pitcher must record three strikeouts in an inning to achieve an immaculate inning. The term was coined by St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon in the 1980s.

While a starting pitcher can sometimes complete an entire game without giving up a walk, it is very rare for a relief pitcher to do so. In fact, from 1901 to 2017, there have been only 49 instances of a relief pitcher recording an immaculate inning. The most recent occurrence was on September 11, 2017, when Milwaukee Brewers reliever Corey Knebel struck out the side on nine pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

pitchers to achieve multiple immaculate innings in their careers are Aroldis Chapman, Craig Kimbrel, Kenley Jansen, and Edwin Diaz.

History of the Immaculate Inning

In baseball, an immaculate inning is when a pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in an inning. It is a rare occurrence in Major League Baseball (MLB). As of July 2019, there have been only 302 immaculate innings in MLB history. The first recorded instance of an immaculate inning was on September 16, 1882, by Lee Richmond of the Worcester Ruby Legs.

First recorded instance

The first recorded instance of an immaculate inning in baseball occurred on September 15, 1880, when Pud Galvin of the Buffalo Bisons struck out three Brooklyn Grays batters in the bottom of the sixth inning. The feat was not repeated until 1888, when Ed Cushman of the Toronto Maple Leafs accomplished it against the Cleveland Blues. As of 2019, there have been 143 Immaculate Innings thrown in Major League Baseball history. Of those, Curt Schilling has the most with seven.

Most recent occurrence

The most recent occurrence of an immaculate inning in Major League Baseball happened on August 3, 2019, when Houston Astros pitcher Collin McHugh struck out all three Tampa Bay Rays batters he faced in the bottom of the sixth inning. It was the first time in McHugh’s career that he had accomplished the feat.

The immaculate inning has been achieved 258 times in MLB history, with the first coming all the way back in 1886. The pitcher who has thrown the most immaculate innings is Nolan Ryan, who did it 12 times over the course of his illustrious career. In 2019, there have been seven pitchers who have recorded an immaculate inning: McHugh, Ryan Pressly, Will Harris, Zac Gallen, Gerrit Cole, Trevor Bauer and Josh Hader.

Notable Immaculate Innings

In baseball, an immaculate inning is a inning where the pitcher strikes out all three batters he/she faces. This is a rare feat, and it has only been accomplished a handful of times in the history of the MLB. Let’s take a look at some of the most notable immaculate innings in baseball history.

Sandy Koufax

Sandy Koufax’s perfect game on September 9, 1965 is the most famous immaculate inning in baseball history. Koufax, a left-handed pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, struck out all three batters he faced in the bottom of the ninth inning to complete a perfect game against the Chicago Cubs. It was the only perfect game Koufax ever pitched and it remains one of the most iconic moments in baseball history.

Nolan Ryan

Nolan Ryan is one of the most famous pitchers in baseball history, and he is also famous for his “immaculate innings.” An immaculate inning is when a pitcher strikes out all three batters in an inning on just nine pitches. It is extremely rare, and Ryan has done it seven times in his career.

Randy Johnson

On May 18, 2004, Johnson achieved the 17th immaculate inning in MLB history, and the first by a left-handed pitcher, by striking out the side on nine pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Impact of the Immaculate Inning

In baseball, an immaculate inning is when a pitcher strikes out all three batters in an inning, on three pitches each. This is a rare feat, and it’s considered to be one of the most impressive accomplishments a pitcher can achieve. But what is the impact of the immaculate inning?

On the pitcher

Pitchers have been known to go an entire game without giving up a hit, but it’s a very rare feat to accomplish. In baseball, an immaculate inning is when a pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in one inning, using the minimum of nine pitches. This is a feat that has only been accomplished a handful of times in the history of Major League Baseball.

While it may not seem like such a big deal, an immaculate inning is actually quite an achievement. Not only does it require the pitcher to have great control, but he also needs to have some luck on his side. After all, anything can happen in baseball.

The most recent pitcher to throw an immaculate inning was Chris Sale of the Boston Red Sox. He accomplished this feat against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 19, 2017. Sale became just the fifth pitcher in Red Sox history to throw an immaculate inning and the first since Craig Kimbrel did it in 2014.

While Sale may be the most recent pitcher to throw an immaculate inning, he’s certainly not the only one. In fact, there have been many pitchers who have accomplished this feat over the years. Some of the most notable pitchers include Bob Feller, Sandy Koufax, Roger Clemens, and Randy Johnson.

On the team

The impact of an immaculate inning on a baseball team can be both significant and short-lived. An immaculate inning is when a relief pitcher strikes out all three batters he/she faces in one inning of work. It’s a very rare feat, as there have only been 47 recorded instances of it in MLB history.

The significance of an immaculate inning lies in the fact that it’s generally seen as a turning point in the game. It can completely shift the momentum, and often times, the outcome of the game. For the team that it happens to, it can be a huge boost of confidence. It can also be a major blow to the other team’s morale.

The short-lived nature of the phenomenon is due to the fact that it’s such a rare event. Even if a team does manage to pull off an immaculate inning, there’s no guarantee that they’ll be able to maintain that momentum for the remainder of the game.

On the game

An immaculate inning is when a pitcher strikes out three batters on nine pitches or less. It’s one of the rarest feats in baseball, and it’s only been accomplished 29 times in MLB history. The most recent immaculate inning was thrown by Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Chris Archer on June 28, 2015.

While an immaculate inning is certainly an impressive feat, it doesn’t have a huge impact on the game. In fact, it’s such a rare occurrence that it’s often considered more of a curiosity than anything else. Nevertheless, an immaculate inning does show that a pitcher has great control and is capable of striking out batters even when they’re not expecting it.