Every week we review the nastiest pitches from the previous week in glorious HD GIFs. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite pitch and and check back this weekend to see if it will be in contention for the GIF of the Second Half Contest, which will be live this All-Star week. Did we miss your favorite pitch? Send us a tweet next time @ThePitcherList and we’ll GIF it up + give you a shoutout here in the article.
Chris Sale’s Sliders – How could we ignore Sale and his 13 strikeouts? First is a backdoor Slider that he casually sits on the corner for strike one, then there’s a slide piece that broke Mallex Smith’s back as he considered bunting for a hit. Absolutely filthy. (Thanks to Redditor MundaneInternetGuy for the tip!)
Luis Castillo’s Fastball – This was Castillo’s final pitch of Thursday’s affair, throwing a blistering 95mph Fastball that traveled from one side of the plate the the other. No wonder Tucker Barnhart couldn’t catch this ball.
Brad Hand’s Slider – The Padres elected to hold Hand at the deadline, who has made the ninth inning his home as the Friars’ closer. His second out en route to Saturday’s save was with this slide piece that started in the middle of the zone before falling to Jose Osuna’s ankles.
Zack Greinke’s Curveball – Despite four walks and 3 ER, Greinke put together a solid start for the Diamondbacks, fanning eight Dodgers in 6.2 innings. His stuff has been as good as ever, getting tons of movement on all his pitches, especially his big hook that somehow hit the dirt to Chase Utley despite starting at his shoulders.
Yu Darvish’s Slider – Darvish has been nothing short of dazzling in his two starts for the Dodgers, collecting double digit strikeouts in each game. There are plenty of pitches to point to for his consistent strikeout production, though ask Brandon Drury about his Slider movement and you’ll find your answer.
Jacob Faria’s Fastball – When Faria is dealing, he’s an absolute joy to watch. Eric Thames was in a fury after getting calling out on strikes with this heater, but this gorgeous slow-motion shot shows the pitch nailing the black of the plate perfectly. I’ve already watched this one dozens of times on repeat.
Adam Ottavino’s Slider – Ottavino’s command hasn’t been as sharp as we’ve seen in previous season’s from the Rockies’ setup man, though his Slider displayed its massive upside during Wednesday’s marathon game against the Indians. Check out its elite bend as it earned strike two against Austin Jackson. (Thanks to @PeteinVermont for the tip!)
Corey Kluber’s Slider – Fine, you’ve seen plenty of Kluber Sliders through the entire year, but can we really deny him another spot in these roundups when he’s pitching like this? Didn’t think so.
GIF Of The Week
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below and the winner will be featured in the GIF of the Second Half Contest.
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