NNow that the World Series is over, and congrats to the Brewers, we can move on to more important topics. A side note: didn’t the Brew Crew remind you of the 2015 Royals? They kept the line moving, played generally solid defense, got the lead, and then their Ned Yost look-alike manager turned the game over to their bulletproof bullpen.
The Royals used a different strategy when they won their first title. When Game Five of the 1985 World Series kicked off, Kansas City once again found themselves in a heap of trouble. Just like the Championship Series against Toronto, the Royals had played themselves into a three-games-to-one hole.
The Royals sent 23-year-old lefty Danny Jackson to the mound to try to extend their season. Jackson had been in this situation just 11 days prior, in a crucial Game Five against the Blue Jays. Jackson responded with a complete-game, eight-hit shutout, which jumpstarted the Royals’ comeback in that series.
Jackson had a terrific 1985 season, making 32 starts and throwing 209 innings to the tune of a 14-12 record with a 3.42 ERA.
Jackson’s opponent on this cool St. Louis evening was the estimable Bob Forsch. At the age of 35, Forsch was in his 12th year with the Cardinals, and though he was not the pitcher he had been during his late-1970s peak, he could still deliver.
Kansas City struck first, with a Frank White groundout bringing home Lonnie Smith. St. Louis got the run back in its half of the inning on a Jack Clark double, which drove home Tommy Herr.
Kansas City gave Jackson some breathing room in the second. Jim Sundberg stroked a one-out double and came home on a Buddy Biancalana single. With two outs, Smith drew a walk. Willie Wilson delivered the big blow with a triple, driving home Biancalana and Smith. 4-1, Royals.
That was the score heading into the bottom of the seventh, which led to a piece of World Series history.
Terry Pendleton led off the inning and swung at the first pitch, lofting a foul ball toward the Royals dugout on the third-base side. George Brett gave chase and slid into the dugout in pursuit but missed the catch. Pendleton, who would spend the final year of his excellent 15-year career with the Royals, looked at strike two before swinging and missing on the third pitch.
Catcher Tom Nieto was the next batter and pulled a bunt attempt foul on the first pitch. I’m not sure why a manager would call for a catcher to bunt. They normally aren’t known for being fleet of foot. Nieto played for seven seasons, appearing in 251 games. You know how many stolen bases he had in his career? Zero. Yet Whitey somehow thought he might be able to beat out a bunt?
Nieto fouled the second pitch straight back before looking at a called third strike.
The third batter of the inning was Brian Harper, pinch-hitting for Todd Worrell. Harper fouled off the first and second pitches. He swung and missed at the third pitch.
Nine pitches, three strikeouts.
Jackson had done what no one else had done before or since, throwing an immaculate inning in the World Series. No one thought much of it at the time. In fact, the term “immaculate inning” didn’t even exist in 1985. The term wasn’t used until sometime around the year 2000.
Did you notice anything else unusual about the inning? The hitters all swung at the first pitch, something you rarely see today. Add in the fact that Jackson was already into the seventh inning and the Royals’ bullpen was somewhat thin, and it’s kind of amazing that the Cardinals didn’t take a few pitches in an effort to get Jackson out of the game.
With the inning, Jackson became the first Royals pitcher to accomplish the feat. Since that time, the Royals have had two other pitchers throw an immaculate inning.
Jeff Montgomery accomplished the feat on April 29, 1990, against the Texas Rangers, victimizing Pete Incaviglia, Geno Petralli, and Thad Bosley.
The third and last Royals pitcher to throw one was, drum roll… Stan Belinda of all people. On August 6, 1994, Belinda chopped down Eric Anthony, Chris Howard, and Luis Sojo of the Seattle Mariners. Belinda came to the Royals from the Pirates in an ill-advised 1993 trade in which Kansas City gave up two young pitchers, Jon Lieber and Dan Miceli, in a desperate attempt to stay in the playoff race. Belinda’s Royals career lasted 60 games over parts of two seasons. Lieber and Miceli both pitched for 14 seasons. Yeah, the Royals got hosed in that trade. As famed football coach Bum Phillips once said, you’re better off dancing with the one that brung ya.
The Royals have been on the wrong side of an immaculate inning three times. The first came on September 23, 1997, when Doug Jones of the Brewers struck out Johnny Damon, Scott Cooper, and Rod Myers in the ninth inning.
Their next trifecta came from the arm of Chris Sale, who whiffed Kelvin Gutierrez, Nicky Lopez, and Martin Maldonado on June 5, 2019. Sale was on fire that summer, as he also threw an immaculate inning against the Orioles just a month before he brushed aside the Royals.
Kansas City has also been the most recent immaculate-inning victim, when Ron Swanson look-alike Payton Tolle struck out Nick Loftin, Bobby Witt Jr., and Jac Caglianone on nine pitches back on September 13, 2026.
Immaculate innings are rare, with, by my count, only 125 in the history of the game. That number is probably not 100% accurate, given what baseball scorekeeping was like in the early to mid-1900s. The Texas Rangers are the only team that has never had an immaculate inning, which is a bit of a surprise since they employed Nolan Ryan for several years. Ryan had two immaculate innings over his illustrious career.
Sandy Koufax and Sale both have three immaculate innings. Several of the best pitchers in the history of the game have had immaculate innings, guys like Walter Johnson, Warren Spahn, Robin Roberts, Randy Johnson, and Pedro Martinez. And much like no-hitters, they can be kind of random, with guys like former Royals Mike Magnante and Brad Boxberger throwing one. David Cone tossed one in 1991 while playing for the Mets. No surprise, as when Cone was on, he could be tough to hit.
But here we are, 41 years after that sweet Royals victory, and Jackson remains the only pitcher to have accomplished the feat in World Series play. I’ll drink to that.
