Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello became the 84th pitcher in baseball history to have an immaculate inning - striking out the side on nine pitches - when he set down the Rays in the fifth inning Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.
Porcello struck out Trevor Plouffe swinging, Wilson Ramos swinging and got Mallex Smith looking. It's the second immaculate inning this season for the Red Sox. Closer Craig Kimbrel pulled off the feat May 11 in a 4-1 victory over the Brewers in Milwaukee.
Porcello's perfection didn't last. He gave up homers to Adeiny Hechavarria and Brad Miller in the sixth, cutting the Sox lead to 6-2. He came into the game 5-14 on the season and pitched six innings, allowing those two runs on four hits, striking seven, walking two and lowering his ERA to 4.63.