ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For almost three innings last night, Rick Porcello was a strike-thrower and only a strike-thrower.
He didn’t throw a ball.
Starting with the final two pitches of the third inning until the first pitch of the sixth in the Red Sox’ 8-2 win against the Tampa Bay Rays last night, Porcello threw 19 consecutive strikes.
The fifth inning lasted nine pitches — all strikes — as Porcello struck out Trevor Plouffe, Wilson Ramos and Mallex Smith for a rare immaculate inning.
“I didn’t even know,” Porcello said.