Every morning, we review the nastiest pitches from the previous day’s games in glorious high-definition 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 Nastiest Pitches of the Season GIF Tournament. Did we miss your favorite pitch? Send us a tweet next time @PitcherList, and we’ll GIF it up and give you a shoutout here in the article.
Diego Castillo’s Sinker
https://gfycat.com/idioticblondabalone
Diego Castillo came into this postseason on the heels of a very successful regular season, so the Ray expected big things. His results so far have been mixed. Obviously allowing 6 baserunners across 3 outings isn’t ideal, but he’s also striking out 11.1 per 9, and has yet to allow a run despite all the baserunners. It’d be more ideal if he could limit the baserunners from here out, but with an ALCS matchup with the Yankees on the itinerary if the Rays win Thursday, that likely won’t be happening.
Will Harris‘ Curveball
https://gfycat.com/heartyathleticgraysquirrel
Will Harris was one of the absolute best relievers in baseball this season, and so far that excellence has extended into the postseason. He has yet to allow a run across his three outings, and has a good 11.6 K/9 to show for it. If the Astros make it past the Rays, Harris will be a crucial part of any attempt at a World Series run.
Nick Anderson’s Fastball
https://gfycat.com/bigunrulydegus
Acquired from the Marlins, Nick Anderson was one of the most untouchable relievers in baseball after the trade deadline, striking out a Herculean 17.3 batters per 9 and walking fewer than 1 per 9. He showed off his excellent control that made him so dominant on this strikeout of Jose Altuve, a double victim in today’s roundup.
Justin Verlander’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/pasteldisgustingdwarfmongoose
Given that Justin Verlander allowed just a single hit over 7 innings of work in Game 1 of this series, the Astros had to be feeling pretty good about their odds going into Game 4. Instead, Verlander was rocked for 7 hits and 4 runs, being bounced before the 4th inning had even finished. If the Rays do manage to win Game 5 on Thursday, Verlander’s going to be thinking about this outing for a loooong time.
Blake Snell’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/offensiveedibleamethystsunbird
Though his regular season was definitely a dud (especially coming off of a Cy Young win), Blake Snell has been solid so far in limited postseason work. Across 4 innings he’s struck out 5, allowing a single run for a 2.25 ERA. Given how light his workload has been since returning from injury, it’ll be interesting to see if the Rays start to stretch him out to help keep the bullpen fresh.
GIF of the Night
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below, and the winner will be featured in the Nastiest Pitches of the Season GIF Tournament.
[polldaddy poll=10428604]
It says slider for Castillo on the ballot, but sinker above