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By Ben Watanabe
Contributing Sports Writer
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Payton Tolle certainly has a different mindset than most MLB pitchers.
When a hurler puts together an unusual feat -- like a no-hitter or, in Tolle's case, an immaculate inning -- the popular response is to say he wasn't thinking about the accomplishment in the moment. Take one pitch at a time. Let the chips fall where they may. That sort of boring stuff.
Not Tolle. After the Boston Red Sox left-hander set down the first three batters of the game on nine strikes, he admitted afterward that the possibility of an immaculate inning was on his mind almost immediately.
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"It's one of those things where I think about it way too early," Tolle said, per MLB.com's Molly Burkhardt. "After we had three straight strikes, I was like, you know, it pops into the brain.
"It's probably bad. I probably need to be better about not thinking about that kind of stuff. But it definitely was there."
Tolle went on to pitch six relatively clean innings, striking out seven and allowing just four hits, to take a no-decision in the Red Sox's 4-1 win over the Kansas City Royals. His immaculate inning -- three batters, three strikeouts, all strikes -- was the eighth in franchise history. It was even more impressive considering he had to endure multiple weather delays before the game finally was able to begin at 4:55 p.m. ET.
Tolle, 23, has demonstrated his unique personality often since reaching the big leagues last year. His postgame comments weren't his only reaction to Sunday's feat that caught fans' eyes. As he walked off the field after the top of the first inning, Tolle embraced catcher Adley Rutschman and laughed his way back to the dugout.
So much for acting like he's been there before, and why should he? He'd literally never thrown an immaculate inning before. Almost no one in Red Sox history had. So he might as well enjoy the moment.
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