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Boston Beaneaters MLB pitcher John Clarkson is first to throw an "immaculate inning" (strikes out 3 batters on 9 pitches

Boston Beaneaters MLB pitcher John Clarkson is first to throw an "immaculate inning" (strikes out 3 batters on 9 pitches) in a 4-2 win over Philadelphia Quakers at South End Grounds

An immaculate inning occurs in baseball when a pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in one inning using the minimum possible number of pitches: nine. This has happened 118 times in Major League Baseball history; 110 pitchers have accomplished the feat. The feat was first performed by John Clarkson of the Boston Beaneaters against the Philadelphia Quakers on June 4, 1889; and most recently by Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres on September 3, 2025. The term "immaculate inning" first appeared in newspapers after 2000.

Five pitchers have accomplished the feat more than once: Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax and Nolan Ryan, and active pitchers Chris Sale, Max Scherzer, and Kevin Gausman. Only Koufax, Sale, and Scherzer have completed it three times apiece.

Historical Significance

An immaculate inning occurs in baseball when a pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in one inning using the minimum possible number of pitches: nine.

Events Before

  1. The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., to promote "the increase and diffusion of geographic kno

    The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., to promote "the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge" [1]

  2. “Father of American Golf” John Reid first demonstrates golf on a Yonkers cow pasture to friends

    “Father of American Golf” John Reid first demonstrates golf on a Yonkers cow pasture to friends

  3. The Convention of Constantinople is signed, guaranteeing free maritime passage through the Suez Canal during war and pea

    The Convention of Constantinople is signed, guaranteeing free maritime passage through the Suez Canal during war and peace

  4. Industrialist Henry Ford (24) weds Clara Jane Bryant (22) in Greenfield Township, Michigan

    Industrialist Henry Ford (24) weds Clara Jane Bryant (22) in Greenfield Township, Michigan

  5. Crouching start first used in track and field by Charles Sherrill of Yale

    Crouching start first used in track and field by Charles Sherrill of Yale

Events After

  1. Physicist J. J. Thomson (33) weds Rose Elisabeth Paget

    Physicist J. J. Thomson (33) weds Rose Elisabeth Paget

  2. Eritrea is consolidated into a colony by the Italian government

    Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. Its capital and largest city is Asmara.

  3. German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck resigns after 19 years after a disagreement with German Emperor Wilhelm II

    German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck resigns after 19 years after a disagreement with German Emperor Wilhelm II

  4. Painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir (49) weds Aline Victorine Charigot

    Painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir (49) weds Aline Victorine Charigot

  5. Canadian boxer George Dixon becomes the first Black world champion when he stops English bantamweight champion Edwin "Nu

    Canadian boxer George Dixon becomes the first Black world champion when he stops English bantamweight champion Edwin "Nunc" Wallace in 18 rounds in London

More from the 1880s

The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., to promote "the increase and diffusion of geographic kno

The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., to promote "the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge" [1]

The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, begins service at Roselle, New Jers

The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, begins service at Roselle, New Jersey

American painter Thomas Eakins (40) weds American painter and photographer Susan Macdowell (32) in a Quaker ceremony in

American painter Thomas Eakins (40) weds American painter and photographer Susan Macdowell (32) in a Quaker ceremony in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, until his death in 1916

Abolitionist Frederick Douglass marries his second wife suffragist Helen Pitts

Abolitionist Frederick Douglass marries his second wife suffragist Helen Pitts

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on June 4, 1889?
An immaculate inning occurs in baseball when a pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in one inning using the minimum possible number of pitches: nine. This has happened 118 times in Major League Baseball history; 110 pitchers have accomplished the feat. The feat was first performed by John Clarkson of the Boston Beaneaters against the Philadelphia Quakers on June 4, 1889; and most recently by Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres on September 3, 2025.
Why is Boston Beaneaters MLB pitcher John Clarkson is first to throw an "immaculate ... significant?
An immaculate inning occurs in baseball when a pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in one inning using the minimum possible number of pitches: nine.

Explore More

June 4 in HistoryYear 1889