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 favourite pitch and check back this weekend to see if it will be in contention for the GIF of the First Quarter Contest. Did we miss your favourite pitch? Send us a tweet next time @PitcherList, and we’ll GIF it up and give you a shoutout here in the article.
Matt Boyd’s Slider
The first of many times you’re going to see Matt Boyd in today’s review, he absolutely humiliates Justin Smoak here. You can hardly blame him on a night where Boyd K’d 10 Blue Jays in just 5 innings of work, but yikes, this is a tough one to watch.
Matt Boyd’s Slider (Again)
Just an inning later, Matt Boyd embarrassed Lourdes Gurriel Jr. with the slider as well. The entire at-bat was full of Boyd making Gurriel look silly, but the slider at the knees to cap the AB was the highlight.
Matt Boyd’s Slider (Last time, I promise.)
In his final inning of work, Matt Boyd used the same modus operandi on Grichuk that he used to punch Smoak out back in the first. Low and inside, and with a disgusting amount of break. Have a day, Matt Boyd.
José Alvarado’s Fastball
This much movement and velocity on a fastball should quite frankly be illegal. I feel for Tyler White here, because even after having to watch the pitch dozens of times, I still have no idea how I’d even begin going about hitting it. Get used to seeing frozen hitters like this from José Alvarado this year.
Trevor Richard’s Changeup
We’ve known Trevor Richard and his changeup are a problem for hitters but David Dahl was personally, and very rudely, introduced to that fact first hand. Richard’s changeup was cooking all game long against Colorado, notably on three straight pitches to bounce Nolan Arenado.
Ross Stripling’s Curveball
A series of unfortunate injuries landed Ross Stripling a spot in the rotation to start the season, and he enforced the fact that he deserved the spot in spectacular fashion Friday night, striking out 5 and allowing just 3 hits over 5 1/3 innings of work. The crown jewel of his outing was this beauty to Jake Lamb, who more closely resembled Babe Didrikson than Babe Ruth on this swing.
German Marquez’s Curveball
Marquez makes a pair of appearances on today’s roundup; and on consecutive batters no less. Free-swinging catcher Jorge Alfaro took a huge cut at this off-speed offering and got nothing but air and a walk back to the dugout…
German Marquez’s Curveball (Again)
…Where he could do nothing to prepare fellow youngster and free-swinger Lewis Brinson for the devastating force of nature that is Marquez’s curve. Marquez finished the night with 7 K’s in 6 innings of work, and he deserved every one of them.
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(Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire)
Not sure why MLB hasn’t banned witchcraft yet, because Alvarado needs to burn at the stake for that act of paganism.