Watch: 1 of MLB's worst teams notches the first 'immaculate inning' of 2018
To put it bluntly, the Baltimore Orioles are not a very good baseball team.
After Monday’s loss to the Cleveland Indians, the Orioles are currently 6-17, firmly entrenched in the American League East’s cellar.
Baltimore has struggled in all facets of the game. Their team batting average of .215 is tied for the lowest in the majors, while their overall earned run average of 4.83 is eighth-highest in baseball.
So it came as a bit of a surprise that during Monday’s game, a Baltimore pitcher became the first in the majors this season to notch an immaculate inning.
For those who don’t know, an immaculate inning is when a pitcher strikes out the side on just nine pitches. Not only does it require that a hitter fail to put the ball in play, but every single pitch thrown must be a strike.
It’s a rare feat. In fact, it’s happened just 90 times in baseball history, according to Yahoo Sports, meaning you’re three times more likely to see a no-hitter.
Starting pitcher Kevin Gausman was able to pull it off in the top of the seventh inning on Monday. He was the first pitcher to do so since Rick Porcello of the Boston Red Sox last August.
As the video below shows, Gausman struck out Yonder Alonso, Yan Gomes and Bradley Zimmer to make short work of the Indians.
After the game, Gausman said he didn’t even realize it was an immaculate inning until he got back to the dugout.
“I didn’t realize it until I got in the dugout, then the guys were a little more pumped up than they’d normally be,” Gausman said, according to The Baltimore Sun. “They told me I’d tied major league history or something. I did it in college once before, but obviously to do that in the big leagues is a little different.”
Orioles manager Buck Showalter was among those impressed by what Gausman did.
“That was impressive,” Showalter said. “Outs are outs at that point. Kevin, you just see his confidence grow as the game went on.”
It was an great start overall for Gausman, who pitched eight stellar innings, giving up just two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and one walk.
Despite the solid numbers, he took the loss. Still, it was an encouraging performance from a starter who struggled mightily last year and came into the game sporting an unseemly ERA of 5.57 in 2018.
“When you get kind of hot like that, as a starter, it makes it a lot easier,” Gausman said afterward. “You get quick outs and are able to get some strikeouts in there on really good pitches.”
Gausman’s performance lowered his ERA to 4.66.
The Orioles, meanwhile, will host the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.
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