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 Nastiest Pitches of the Season 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.
Zack Greinke’s Changeup
https://gfycat.com/IdleMintyBoubou
Zack Greinke was slated as the starting pitcher last night, but he only threw 83 pitches before he was pulled in the fifth inning. It wasn’t a pretty outing from Greinke, and at times, it looked as though he might crumble under the pressure. But to his credit, Greinke came out of the game with 4.1 innings under his belt, five strikeouts, and only one run. Greinke primarily offers a mix of an upper-80s fastball and upper-80s changeup, and here, the latter is on display, getting a nasty whiff from Aaron Judge.
Ryan Pressly’s Fastball
https://gfycat.com/ShinyCleverAlbacoretuna
Just a few minutes after Greinke was pulled, the Astros found themselves with the bases loaded and slugger Edwin Encarnacion at the plate. But with Ryan Pressly and his stellar 2.32 ERA on the mound, the Yankees stood little to no chance. Pressly delivers with an overpowering heater that Encarnacion swings right through to get the Astros out of their most critical jam of the game.
Josh James‘ Changeup
https://gfycat.com/UnfortunateCapitalEasteuropeanshepherd
After Pressly pitched, Josh James followed in the sixth, and although the young reliever allowed two earned runs, he was still able to limit the damage somewhat. Facing Aaron Judge with two outs and a runner in scoring position, James could have easily lost his composure and allowed Judge to continue the Yankees’ rally. But as you probably know by now, that didn’t happen. Instead, he offered with a filthy 2-2 changeup that Judge reached at for strike three.
Jonathan Loaisiga’s Fastball
https://gfycat.com/GlassDopeyGreyhounddog
After CC Sabathia left what was likely his final outing with a shoulder injury, Jonathan Loaisiga was brought in to limit the damage. With the bases loaded and two outs, it only took Loaisiga two pitches to get out of the jam with a strikeout. He just rifles this one in at a blistering 99 mph right past George Springer for strike three, but it was too late for the Yankees, who now face an elimination game against a Cy Young contender tonight in the Bronx. It should be a good one, folks.
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.
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