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.
Stephen Strasburg’s Curveball
https://gfycat.com/DapperPointedAlaskanmalamute
With the season on the line, Stephen Strasburg was tasked with cleaning up after Max Scherzer’s sub-optimal showing. Strasburg did his job and threw three masterful innings, in which he allowed just two baserunners and struck out four. Here, he bends a disgusting curve over the front edge of the plate for a called strike one to Orlando Arcia.
Max Scherzer’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/PlayfulMarriedFossa
Max Scherzer owes a nice present to Strasburg and Soto after last night. The three-time Cy Young winner looked flustered out of the gate and threw just 77 pitches before getting the hook from his skipper. Scherzer allowed two huge home runs to Yasmani Grandal and Eric Thames, but he makes up for it here with a changeup that he buries underneath the bat of Keston Huira.
Brandon Woodruff’s Fastball
https://gfycat.com/CloudyMajesticLeonberger
Brandon Woodruff only pitched four innings last night, but man, was he good. Woodruff’s heater was his main weapon, and as always, the pitch was touching close to triple digits. Although Woodruff’s outing wasn’t enough to lift the Brewers over the Nats, he was still able to get plenty of whiffs. Here, he zips one right by Nats phenom Juan Soto for a gorgeous strike three swinging.
Josh Hader’s Fastball
https://gfycat.com/QuaintDimCaecilian
Oh boy, oh boy. This was not the way things were supposed to end tonight for the Brewers. Josh Hader had been so good for so long now that he was certainly the guy who had to go out and close this game. But, as the Brewers learned the hard way tonight, October baseball is madness. Although it’s certainly no consolation, we’re featuring Hader’s lethal fastball just one more time this season, as it flies right by the bat of Victor Robles.
GIF of the Night
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below, and the winner will be featured in the Nastiest Pitches of the Season GIF Tournament.
[polldaddy poll=10422662]