Rich Hill’s Curveball and the Nastiest Pitches from 9/27

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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Rich Hill’s Curveball

 

https://gfycat.com/elderlyfastgrunion

 

There are rumors floating around that this may have been the final regular-season start for Rich Hill, and while I hope the rumors aren’t true I thought it would be fitting for him to be the lead today just in case. Make no mistake, Hill has had a very poor season and there’s not much hope he could bounce back next year after losing 2 MPH on nearly all of his pitches compared to 2019. But this pitch is still so, so pretty and I’m really going to miss it when it’s finally gone.

 

Blake Treinen’s Sinker

 

https://gfycat.com/zanyhonorablecaracal

 

I mean… what is Jo Adell supposed to do with this thing? This Blake Treinen sinker is absolutely unhittable. He’s going to be an important weapon for the Dodgers in the postseason.

 

Adrian Morejon’s Changeup

 

https://gfycat.com/acclaimeduntidygordonsetter

 

This is the Knuckle-Change that Adrian Morejon throws, and I wish this pitch included a slo-mo for your enjoyment and so you could see the grip. An old one will have to do, but can you imagine what this pitch is going to be capable of in 2021? He hits his spot here, gets some fluttering action towards the plate, and some nasty break on it as well. The “Chuckle” is an A+ name and I can’t wait to see more of it in the future.

 

Justin Topa’s Sinker

 

https://gfycat.com/heavydefiniteamericanshorthair

 

Here’s a two-pitch sequence from Justin Topa that was so good I had to add them in back to back. First, this filthy sinker freezes Dylan Carlson in place as it darts back over the plate…

 

Justin Topa’s Slider

 

https://gfycat.com/colossaloddfinch

 

… and then Topa makes Carlson look absolutely silly on this half-hearted swing at a pitch that had no business being hit. Topa struck out three in two solid innings of relief, but the damage was already done as St. Louis clinched a playoff berth on the last day of the season.

 

Sonny Gray’s Curveball

 

https://gfycat.com/impracticaldeafeninghumpbackwhale

 

Jorge Polanco appears to be the king of crazy whiffs, as I’m pretty sure he was on the receiving end of a nasty pitch in yesterday’s installment as well. Sonny Gray wasn’t particularly sharp in this one, as he walked four and gave up two earned runs in 5.1 innings on the day. The curve was his most utilized pitch on the day and it earned a 32% CSW. Sonny is still dope and he gets a chance to prove himself in the playoffs this week.

Dustin May’s Sinker

 

https://gfycat.com/jadedincomparableindri

 

Dustin May only had a 23% CSW on the sinker Sunday but this one was too filthy not to include. He came on in relief after opener Victor Gonzalez pitched a scoreless first inning. The fiery redhead earned the win with four innings of two-hit baseball.

 

Drew Smyly’s Cutter

 

https://gfycat.com/selfishdemandingharlequinbug

 

Drew Smyly struck out 10 (!) Padres on Sunday, but he still earned the loss despite only allowing two earned runs in five innings. Smyly added velocity to all three of his pitches and looked like a solid weapon down the stretch, so here’s to him keeping whatever changes he made into 2021.

 

Adbert Alzolay’s Sinker

 

https://gfycat.com/fondlankycommabutterfly

 

It’s another sinker on #SinkerSunday, as this pitch from Adbert Alzolay earned a flailing whiff out of Yoan Moncada. Alzolay struck out eight White Sox in the outing en route to a victory.

 

Frankie Montas‘ Sinker

 

https://gfycat.com/grandiosepoisedatlanticsharpnosepuffer

 

What better way to end #SinkerSunday with a sinker from the man who struck out 13 Mariners in six innings of work. The pitch only earned a 21% CSW on the day but, again, this one was so filthy it had to be included. What a fantastic way to end the craziest baseball season of all time.