Every morning we review the nastiest pitches from the previous day’s games in glorious HD GIFs. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite pitch and check back this weekend to see if it will be in contention for the GIF of the First Half Contest. Did we miss your favorite pitch? Send us a tweet next time @PitcherList and we’ll GIF it up + give you a shoutout here in the article.
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Charlie Morton’s Curveball – It’s hard not to lead with Morton after he tossed seven shutout innings with 13 strikeouts against the Blue Jays on Tuesday. His masterful curveball was money all night long, here being used to back rookie Teoscar Hernandez off the plate – while still falling into the strike zone.
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Kevin Gausman’s Splitter – Gausman’s splitter has been one of the most unhittable pitches in all of baseball this season, generating a ridiculous 53.6% o-swing rate. Poor Kyle Seager was nearly dropped to a knee trying to fight this pitch off, to no avail.
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James Paxton’s Curveball – Did someone drop some black ice under Manny Machado’s feet? The poor guy was absolutely mystified by this Paxton curveball on Tuesday. Big Maple struck out 10 in seven excellent innings of work against the Orioles.
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Chaz Roe’s Slider – Hello old friend. Although Sergio Romo has taken over the closing duties in Tampa Bay, Roe is having a better season and could be in line for saves later on – particularly if Romo is traded. Roe’s nasty slider continues to befuddle hitters, with Anthony Rendon serving as the latest victim.
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Zack Godley’s Curveball – Godley didn’t have the best start on Tuesday, striking out four and walking four in five innings of work. His curveball, as it always has been, was still dominant. Here he pulled the string out on Marlins slugger Justin Bour, freezing him on the inside part of the plate.
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Luis Severino’s Slider – By the 103rd pitch of the game, many major league pitchers can’t even get their fastball up to 88 miles per hour. Here, Severino brings his nasty 12-6 looking slider in the high-80’s, posting his ninth and final strikeout of the game.
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Diego Castillo’s Fastball – There are many, many reasons why strikeouts are at an all-time high in today’s game. No-name relievers like Diego Castillo who can bring 99 mile per hour fastballs with heavy arm-side run are one of, if not the biggest factor. This is pure filth.
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Jake Arrieta’s Slider – Arrieta hasn’t had the best season in Philadelphia, but his hard slider has continued to miss bats at elite levels. Here he ran that pitch up to 92 miles per hour, getting slugger Giancarlo Stanton waving at air for strike three.
GIF Of The Night
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below and the winner will be featured in the GIF of the First Half Contest.
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