Every morning, the We Love Baseball crew reviews the Nastiest Pitches from the previous day’s games in glorious high-definition GIFs. We want to bring you the highest caliber of nastiness possible, so if you see a nasty pitch, please tell us about it. You can tweet @PitcherList to let us know and we’ll give you a shout-out here in the article if your tip makes the cut.
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Max Scherzer’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/LinearGlamorousCardinal
Max Scherzer tossed 4.1 innings and allowed two runs to score in yesterday’s NLCS matchup. Scherzer struck out seven, with five of them coming on his slider. Here he threw his nastiest one of the night to Austin Riley who swings through the filthy pitch.
Ian Anderson’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/complicatedrelievedkagu
Ian Anderson pitched just three innings and struck out two for the Braves. Anderson wasn’t able to settle in against a potent Dodgers lineup, but he was still able to strike out two hitters on the changeup. Here’s his offspeed pitch that gets Chris Taylor swinging.
Alex Vesia’s Fastball
https://gfycat.com/DefensiveCrispCentipede
Alex Vesia came on in relief of Max Scherzer and pitched out of a fifth-inning jam. Here Vesia strikes out Ozzie Albies, who made the final out of the inning, on this wonderful rising heater.
Will Smith’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/FemaleImaginaryGull
Let’s end today with the battle between Will Smith and Will Smith. Will Smith pitched a clean ninth and was able to strike out two hitters, including Will Smith. Here, Will Smith throws a fantastic slider that Will Smith just whiffs on for a swinging strike three (sorry about that, but I was simply not passing on this amazing opportunity).
Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
Way to trust one of the best closers in the history of baseball LAD. As usual they are more interested in trying to hand the reins off to someone who has proven nothing and they cost themselves the game in the process. Brusdar and Joe Kelly in a playoff game that is less than 15 innings LOL. Its not rocket science – You ride a starter, then turn it over to trusted bullpen members. I guess if you are completely baseball illiterate then you might have some other ideas like using one of your top SP as a reliever come playoff time. That always worked great with Maeda… wait, no it didn’t but he took a huge step forward when given an actual SP role with a new team. Vesia, who should not be relied on, did not pitch out of a jam. If a runner on first with one out is a jam, then I guess it is… but it isn’t. He did put a runner in scoring position and bring ATL’s best hitter to the plate, but that is on him. To think that those idiots decided to use Vesia, Kelly, Brusdar and Urias in relief is TB-esque. Along with that, they used their only two reliable bullpen arms and two of their best SP. That is far more disastrous than losing one game. All they have to do is not do what they are doing to win the series, but it might be too late. They have annihilated their bullpen and destroyed any roles that anyone ever had. This team’s analytics department makes a great team into an average one. This same group of children could not put the most talented roster i baseball in position to win the division and was nearly eliminated last round. This mismanagement is criminal to players and fans, but it happens every day. Accountability for those analytic incompetents is the only way forward to a better future for baseball.