# Three Pitch Innings **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 26, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-pitch-innings/401677 "2007-04-26T00:41:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-pitch-innings/401677/1 "2007-04-26T00:41:28Z")
Has any pitcher in a major league game ever had a three pitch inning? ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-pitch-innings/401677/2 "2007-04-26T00:48:40Z")
I’m sure it has happened. I’m pretty sure that Eric Gagne pitched an inning and he had 9 straight strikes for three strikeouts. That doesn’t really answer your question though. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-pitch-innings/401677/3 "2007-04-26T00:53:17Z")
[Three pitch innings](http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~rickert/BB/threepitchinning.html) ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-pitch-innings/401677/4 "2007-04-26T11:17:55Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] [Three pitch innings](http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~rickert/BB/threepitchinning.html) [/QUOTE] Once again I am absolutely astounded at the information that can be found on the Internet. If I let myself weaken and succombed to the temptation, the links supplied in Diogenes the Cynic’s posting could keep me enthralled for weeks! Thanks for the info. ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-pitch-innings/401677/5 "2007-04-26T21:04:45Z")
The OP is related to a trivia question I like to ask baseball nuts: _What is a record that one can tie but never break?_ ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-pitch-innings/401677/6 "2007-04-26T21:09:24Z")
Apparently I was wrong re Eric Gagne, nine pitch/3k innings… [Just FYI](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitchers_who_struck_out_three_batters_on_nine_pitches) ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-pitch-innings/401677/7 "2007-04-27T00:46:00Z")
[QUOTE=Subterraneanus] The OP is related to a trivia question I like to ask baseball nuts: _What is a record that one can tie but never break?_ [/QUOTE] In theory, it’s possible to have a one-pitch inning. Here’s how it works: (1) First batter, hits a triple on the very first pitch. (2) Before any pitch is made to the 2nd batter, runner attempts to steal home. (3) Pitcher steps off the rubber and throws the ball to the catcher (doesn’t count as a pitch) (4) Batter interferes with the play. Batter is out, runner returns to third base. (5) 3rd and 4th batters, same thing happens. I doubt this has ever happened, though… ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-pitch-innings/401677/8 "2007-04-27T02:27:36Z")
More reasonably, it’s possible for a relief pitcher to do it: First two batters walk, relief pitcher comes in and gets the next batter to hit into a triple play. Pitcher is credited with one IP but only one ball pitched. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-pitch-innings/401677/9 "2007-04-27T14:59:33Z")
[QUOTE=Subterraneanus] _What is a record that one can tie but never break?_ [/QUOTE] There are several, and most of them that I can think of involve the extreme ends of stats ranges, like a 0.00 ERA or a 1.000 batting average. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-pitch-innings/401677/10 "2007-04-27T23:10:59Z")
Put Josh Towers down for a 10-pitch, 3 strikeout inning. :eek: ETA: The ball was the 9th pitch, too. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-pitch-innings/401677/11 "2007-04-27T23:36:44Z")
It is possible **in theory** to have a zero-pitch inning — a zero-pitch game, in fact. > [@](#): > > (c) If the batter refuses to take his position in the batter’s box during his time at bat, the umpire shall call a strike on the batter. The ball is dead, and no runners may advance. After the penalty, the batter may take his proper position and the regular ball and strike count shall continue. If the batter does not take his proper position before three strikes have been called, the batter shall be declared out. If three consecutive batters refuse to enter the batter’s box due to some extenuating circumstances — a brawl, for instance, or for a lack of eligible players, or because (back in the day) a player might have refused to play against a team with a black player — the umpire can simply call strikes against the non-existent batters until the side is retired. I doubt this happens often, but the provision exists in the rules.