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 and check back this weekend to see if it will be in contention for the GIF of the First Half. Did we miss your favorite pitch? Send us a tweet next time @ThePitcherList and we’ll GIF it up + give you a shoutout here in the article.
Stephen Strasburg’s Changeup – Despite the four earned runs in his name, Strasburg had a good effort against the Tigers, striking out eleven after getting pulled in the eighth inning. His Changeup has been a major part of his early success and he fanned Nick Castellanos with a beaut to end the third. (Thanks to Redditors efitz11 and Matugi1 for the tip!)
Stephen Strasburg’s Curveball – We rarely feature two pitches from the same pitcher on a given night, but we couldn’t leave off this sweet hook from Strasburg to close out the first inning. Who doesn’t enjoy watching Justin Upton get his knees buckled?
Scott Kazmir’s Slider – It wasn’t night Kazmir’s night overall, though he got out of a jam in the fourth with this fantastic Slider to Curtis Granderson that never stopped darting off the plate. (Thanks to Redditor see_mohn for the tip!)
Aaron Sanchez’s Fastball – It’s no secret that Sanchez gets a ton of movement on his Fastball, the bigger question is if he can command it properly. Spotting 96 MPH right on the black to freeze opposing pitcher Jake Peavy is just what we’re looking for.
Jose Fernandez’s Curveball – JoFer certainly needs to cut down on the walks, but he is carving up lineups as good as anyone with a 12.84 K/9 so far this season. His deuce is a big reason why, and this one to Yadiel Rivera was as filthy as they come.
Jake Peavy’s Fastball – Unfortunately the main camera was moving during this pitch, but the movement Peavy gets by sliding down his arm slot was absurdly good on this 1-0 Fastball to Troy Tulowitzki.
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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