There is inherent randomness in Major League Baseball, its marathon schedule, and the quirkiness written into the sport’s DNA. Over 162 games, that gets washed out. But in the small sample of nine innings, anything can happen.
New York Yankees starter Domingo Germán threw a perfect game a year before washing out of the sport. Four of Scooter Gennett’s 87 career home runs came in the same game.
On Tuesday, baseball found another surprising entry in its record books. In the fifth inning against the New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles starter Brandon Young threw the 119th immaculate inning in MLB history.
Young reacts to rare feat in extra-inning loss
Young struck out Jesse Winker, Jeff McNeil, and Luis Torrens to etch himself into the exclusive club.
The start was the best of his young career. He pitched into the sixth inning for the first time, allowing two runs over 5.1 innings while striking out six.
“Pretty cool, man,” Young said, via Jake Rill. “Pretty cool.”
His immaculate inning was the fifth in Baltimore history, joining Hall of Famer Mike Mussina and, most recently, Kevin Gausman.
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More importantly, it was a building block for Young. For much of the evening, he relentlessly pounded the strike zone, recording the highest strike percentage and swinging strike percentage of his season. For the first time, he finished his outing without allowing a walk. His changeup stood out, recording an impressive six whiffs.
“Overall, I felt good. I felt I had command of not just one or two pitches, but a couple, and kept them on their toes. I worked the fastball pretty good early on,” Young said. “I feel like I’m getting better, learning a few things. Confidence builder tonight.”
After Young’s exit, both teams rallied, filling the late-inning box score before the Mets pulled out a 7-6 win in 10 innings.
The Orioles have found themselves in need of quality innings, an entirely predictable predicament given the offseason’s lack of spending. If Young can carry the momentum from Tuesday into the second half, he’ll do his part in giving Baltimore a chance at a second-half push.
Young’s immaculate inning was special. But that doesn’t make it meaningful for future performance. It’ll be on his ability to continuously adjust to make that moment a footnote on a more impactful career. He should get that first opportunity on Sunday against the Miami Marlins.
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