Brewers' Mike Fiers throws nine pitches in 'immaculate inning'

Brewers pitcher Mike Fiers struck out the side on nine pitches Thursday for the 79th ever "immaculate inning"

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Mike Fiers struck out the side on nine pitches in the fourth inning Thursday for the 79th ever "immaculate inning."

Fiers sent down Dodgers hitters Enrique Hernandez, Carlos Frias and Joc Pederson on strikes, all on swinging strikes.

The "immaculate inning" was the first of the season 79th one recorded in baseball history, according to Baseball Alamanac.

Last year featured a record seven immaculate innings, the most recent courtesy of Brandon McCarthy against the Rays on Sept. 17.

Only four pitchers — Hall of Famers Lefty Grove, Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Sandy Koufax —  have thrown multiple career immaculate innings, and only Koufax has thrown three.

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Entering Thursday, Fiers, who debuted for Milwaukee in 2011, had a career 3.66 ERA, with 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings. He is 1-3 with a 4.74 ERA in 2015 despite ranking second in baseball (and first in the National League) in strikeouts per nine innings among pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched.

Despite Fiers' historic inning Thursday, he exited with no outs in the sixth inning, having struck out eight batters but allowed five hits, five walks and five runs.

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- Alex Putterman