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 September Nastiest Pitches 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.
Patrick Corbin’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/IncompatibleIndolentHedgehog
Patrick Corbin’s slider is pretty filthy. So filthy, in fact, that last night it induced 17 swinging strikes on 41 pitches, good for a … (checks calculator) 41% swinging-strike rate! Corbin’s slider looked insane last night, and hitters barely managed contact on the pitch. It was used on eight of his 11 strikeouts, including his first of the night, a filthy lefty-on-lefty slider that sweeps past Kolten Wong’s bat.
Yu Darvish’s Two-Seamer
https://gfycat.com/GentleCreamyDevilfish
Next, we’re shouting out Yu Darvish, whose arsenal featured a total of seven distinct deliveries last night. Now, that must be difficult for Cubs catcher Victor Caratini, who last I checked has only five fingers with which to signal, but it’s even harder for opposing hitters, who struck out a whopping 13 times against Darvish. Here is Darvish’s sickest offering of the night, a front-door two-seamer that freezes Joey Votto.
Mitch Keller’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/DemandingSpicyBarnowl
Mitch Keller finally had a solid outing on the mound. He threw five innings and allowed just two earned runs while inducing seven strikeouts from opposing hitters. His curveball was responsible for four of those, including this one that just misses the bat of Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager for a swinging strike three.
Luis Severino’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/GrotesqueUntimelyDikkops
So the Yankees lost Dellin Betances last night just a few hours after Luis Severino made his long-awaited season debut. But let’s not dwell on the Yanks’ injury woes. The Bronx Bombers captured win No. 99, and Sevy looked as good as always. Through four innings, he struck out four, including elite defender Andrelton Simmons, who fell victim to this sweet slider. (Shoutout to PL supporter Asher Dratel, for the catch on this one!)
Lance Lynn’s Fastball
https://gfycat.com/ValidPerfectAdder
In a good ol’ Texas duel last night, Justin Verlander was pitted against Lance Lynn. Although JV and the Astros outplayed the Rangers, Lynn held his own until he gave up a few homers late in the outing. Lynn used his four-seamer to make plenty of outs, including this 96 mph fastball that paints the corner with precision to freeze Jose Altuve.
Stephen Tarpley’s Slider
https://gfycat.com/PrestigiousHomelyAlligatorsnappingturtle
For those of you not familiar, Stephen Tarpley is a 26-year-old southpaw for the New York Yankees. Last night, Tarpley pitched 1.1 scoreless innings of relief, making each of his four outs on strikes. Tarpley still needs a lot of work on his command, but if he can hit his spots like he does here on this front-door slider, hitters will have a tough time getting to him in the future.
GIF of the Night
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below, and the winner will be featured in the September Nastiest Pitches GIF Tournament.
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