CHICAGO — New Cubs reliever Andrew Kittredge experienced a wide range of emotions in the span of less than 24 hours, going from being booed off the mound Tuesday night to throwing an immaculate inning Wednesday afternoon against the Cincinnati Reds.
Kittredge, 35, threw nine pitches in the top of the seventh inning Wednesday, striking out all three batters he faced. It was the first immaculate inning by a Cubs pitcher since Hayden Wesneski’s in 2022.
It’s the first time Kittredge can recall throwing one.
“I was aware of it after the second strikeout,” Kittredge said following the Cubs’ 6-1 victory. “Pretty cool.”
Not only did Kittredge strike out Austin Hays, Gavin Lux and Tyler Stephenson, but he did it using the same sequence of pitches.
“We went sinker, sinker, slider,” catcher Carson Kelly said. “Sinker, sinker, slider. Sinker, sinker … slider? It was pretty cool to be a part of that.”
Kelly paused for a second recalling the notion that maybe he should change up that last pitch — but the slider did the trick as all three batters struck out swinging.
The moment came less than a day after Kittredge — who was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles last week — took the loss after giving up four runs in a third of an inning against the Reds. He was booed by the sold-out crowd after being pulled from the game.
“I try not to read into that,” Kittredge said with a smile. “Hopefully you hear more cheers than boos. … I was not in the zone as much as I’d like to be [Tuesday night]. Today I made a more conscious effort to be in the zone. It kind of fell into place.”
Kittredge noted the confidence his manager showed in him by putting him back into a close game after he had blown one. His immaculate inning came with the Cubs leading 2-0, before they added on late in the contest to avoid getting swept by Cincinnati.
“That’s what being a big league reliever is about,” Chicago manager Craig Counsell said. “Things don’t go your way the night before, and you’re asked to come out and deliver in the same situation and you deliver.
“I love that.”
