Every morning, the We Love Baseball crew reviews the Nastiest Pitches from the previous day’s games. If you see something you think should be included here be sure to tweet @PitcherList to let us know. Or, if you’re a PL+ Member and part of our Discord, shout it out in the Nastiest Pitches channel.
Sonny Gray’s Sweeper
Sonny Gray pitched seven strong innings, holding the Cubs to two runs on five hits. However, Gray’s 11th win turned to dust thanks to Ryan Helsley’s ninth-inning implosion. Gray’s sweeper buckled Miguel Amaya in his first at-bat and was later K-O’d by a bizarre pitch clock violation.
Shota Imanaga’s Splitter
Shota Imanaga didn’t have his best night, allowing ten hits, including homers by Masyn Winn and Paul Goldschmidt. Still, he grinded his way into the seventh and kept the Cubs in the game. He leaned on his splitter, which returned 13 whiffs on 31 swings (42 %). Pedro Pagés‘ first at-bat ended with him swinging through a deftly located split on the bottom of the zone for Imanaga’s second strikeout.
Max Meyer’s Slider
Max Meyer’s line was spoiled by dingers from Matt Olson and Orlando Arcia. Still, the 25-year-old has looked pretty good as an inexperienced pitcher returning from TJ surgery. Meyer’s slider did the heavy lifting again, returning eight whiffs on 18 swings (44%), including this gem to Whit Merrifield.
Charlie Morton’s Curveball
Charlie Morton opened the night by allowing consecutive singles to Xavier Edwards and Jake Burger but quickly righted the ship by striking out five of the next seven batters he faced, including Forrest Wall on this sharp curve. Oddly enough, Morton had just one more strikeout the rest of the way. Still, it was good enough to earn his sixth win.
Cade Smith’s Splitter
How about Cade Smith? He’s been a terrific find for the Guardians, recording a 1.92 ERA and 0.89 WHIP across 50.2 IP. Smith’s splitter fell straight off the proverbial table and caught Ryan Mountcastle fishing for the second out of the seventh, guarding a then three-run lead that eventually ended as a 10-3 blowout.
Seth Lugo’s Curveball
Seth Lugo cruised to an easy 7-1 win over the Tigers, his 13th win has him tied at the top with Grayson Rodriguez and Chris Sale. His first of three strikeouts came with this beautiful 3-2 bender to Bligh Madris. The curveball leads Lugo’s eclectic arsenal with a 5.36 PLV and 2.31 PLA.
Carson Fulmer’s Sweeper
Carson Fulmer did yeoman’s work, holding the Rockies to two earned runs across six innings while striking out eight. And he only needed 79 pitches. The only damage came courtesy of Michael Toglia, who cracked his 19th longball of the year in his first at-bat. However, Fulmer bested him in their rematch, setting him up with this nasty sweeper before freezing him with a curve at the knees for his fourth strikeout.
Carson Fulmer’s Changeup
Another from Fulmer, who racked up an impressive 18 swings and misses. He painted a changeup on the outside corner that befuddled Sam Hilliard in the second for his third strikeout of the night. Fulmer’s change returned seven whiffs on 11 swings (64%).