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 GIF of the Second Quarter Contest. 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.
Chris Sale’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/OrdinaryBraveBorderterrier
Remember when we were worried about Chris Sale? Since the calendar turned to May, though, the perennial ace has produced a 2.28 ERA and 14.83 K/9, with 10-plus strikeouts in all but one start and 12 or more in three of those starts. If any worries you had still lingered, you can more than put them at ease now.
Sam Gaviglio’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/ChillyAchingDungenesscrab
While this Sam Gaviglio offering may not have elicited an ugly swing like many of those featured on the article today, freezing Clint Frazier so badly he nearly falls on his rear end is just as impressive to watch. Gaviglio continued a respectable season on Wednesday and took a 4.05 ERA out of the game.
Jimmy Nelson’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/WhisperedBrilliantEnglishpointer
Making his first appearance since a catastrophic shoulder injury in 2017, Jimmy Nelson pitched a rough three innings against the Marlins. As poorly as his first start back went though, there were some moments where we saw the future ace we saw in 2017, particularly in this showdown with J.T. Riddle. Nelson pitched to a 3.49 ERA and 10.2 K/9 in 2017.
Yu Darvish’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/WeirdTalkativeEskimodog
Yu Darvish looked solid in 5 1/3 against the Rockies, which at this point is a marked improvement from what we’ve largely seen so far. This slider to punch out Daniel Murphy after an epic 13-pitch duel was the highlight of his night. Darvish carries a 4.88 ERA into his next start. His 4.01 ERA over his past six starts at least gives some hope that the former ace can turn things around.
Jon Duplantier’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/SilverRareBadger
Jon Duplantier has been incredibly impressive to start his major league career so far, sporting a 3.27 ERA after striking out seven Dodgers over five innings of two-run ball. The Diamondbacks haven’t had much to talk about this season, but Jon Duplantier has certainly had an exciting start to a hopefully long career in Arizona.
Charlie Morton’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/LivelyInfantileFrogmouth
Charlie Morton is still elite; what else is new? Sporting a 2.30 ERA after seven shutout innings against the Tigers, Morton has more than delivered on the Rays’ offseason investment thus far and is a major part of Tampa’s 36-23 start.
GIF of the Night
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below, and the winner will be featured in the GIF of the Second Quarter Contest.
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