Want more? Sign up for our Cubs Insider<\/a> and White Sox Insider<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cubs reliever Andrew Kittredge throws rare immaculate inning<\/p>\n Two batters into his outing Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field, Kittredge knew he had a chance to do something special.<\/p>\n The difficulty of completing an immaculate inning \u2014 striking out all three batters in a frame on the minimum nine pitches \u2014 is highlighted by how few pitchers have pulled off the feat. Kittredge became only the sixth known pitcher in Cubs history to throw an immaculate inning in a 6-1 win against the Cincinnati Reds when he struck out Austin Hayes, Gavin Lux and Tyler Stephenson in the seventh inning, putting each of them away on a whiff.<\/p>\n The others Cubs to do it:<\/p>\n Kittredge knew he had a shot at it after the second strikeout.<\/p>\n \u201cJust trying to make pitches at that point,\u201d Kittredge said. \u201cHonestly, it was kind of building off last night where I was not in the zone as much as I like to be and today I just kind of made it more of a conscious effort to be in the zone and it just kind of fell into place.\u201d<\/p>\n Photos: Chicago Cubs beat Cincinnati Reds 6-1 at Wrigley Field<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Catcher Carson Kelly realized Kittredge was on the verge of perfection before the final pitch as he ran through the pitch sequencing from the inning: sinker-sinker-slider to Hayes, sinker-sinker-slider to Lux and sinker-sinker to Stephenson.<\/p>\n Kelly quickly pondered what to call in that moment and again went back to the slider to put away Stephenson.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was pretty cool to be part of that,\u201d said Kelly, who believes that was his first immaculate inning behind the plate.<\/p>\n Beyond the impressiveness of the feat, Kittredge\u2019s inning of perfection was a needed bounce-back outing after Cubs fans\u2019 boos followed him off the mound the night before. The veteran \u2014 acquired in a July 31 trade<\/a> with the Baltimore Orioles \u2014 had surrendered four runs in a tie game during the seventh inning Tuesday in a 5-1 loss to the Reds<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s cool about that is that\u2019s what being like a big-league reliever is about,\u201d manager Craig Counsell said. \u201cIt\u2019s about things don\u2019t go your way the night before, and you\u2019re asked to come out and deliver in the same situation, and you deliver, and I love that.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to have a short memory, and it\u2019s the same guy, and he\u2019s a good pitcher, and we\u2019re going to need him.\u201d<\/p>\n Kittredge appreciated Counsell putting him right back into a close game, entering with the Cubs holding a 2-0 lead, and the trust he showed in that situation.<\/p>\n \u201cYou always want to just get back out there as quick as you can \u2026 just so you don\u2019t have to stew on it too long,\u201d Kittredge said. \u201cHopefully you hear more cheers than boos, but you\u2019re going to give up runs in this game. You\u2019re going to have success in this game, hopefully, and just try to enjoy the times where it\u2019s going well.\u201d<\/p>\n White Sox\u2019s Drew Thorpe receives helpful advice during recovery Thorpe checked in with the big-league club during its West Coast trip as he continued recovering from Tommy John surgery.<\/p>\n \u201cFeels good,\u201d the Sox right-hander told the Tribune on Saturday at Angel Stadium. \u201cGet out of Arizona for a little bit and get back with the guys. It\u2019s been great.<\/p>\n \u201cJust being around everybody and seeing everybody, hanging out \u2014 feels like being part of the team.\u201d<\/p>\n Thorpe underwent the surgery on April 9. About three months out, Thorpe described the process as \u201cgood\u201d while recovering at the club\u2019s Arizona facility.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s obviously super long,\u201d he said. \u201cSo just kind of day by day. A couple of months until I start throwing, still. Just working toward that, building up strength.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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White Sox starter Drew Thorpe delivers against the Rockies on June 28, 2024, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (John J. Kim\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n
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White Sox third baseman Colson Montgomery celebrates his two-run home run in the third inning against the Phillies on Monday, July 28, 2025, at Rate Field. (Dominic Di Palermo\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n![\"Chicago](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/CTC-L-cubs-reds009_232067506.jpg\")
Cubs starter Shota Imanaga follows through on a pitch to the Reds on Aug. 5, 2025, at Wrigley Field. (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n![\"Catcher](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/CTC-Z-SOX-LEASURE.jpg\")
Catcher Kyle Teel, left, and reliever Jordan Leasure slap hands after the White Sox defeated the Angels 1-0 on Aug. 2, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (Mark J. Terrill\/AP)<\/p>\n