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 GIF of the First Quarter Contest. 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
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Zack Greinke is settling in nicely in Houston alongside fellow aces Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. Yesterday, Greinke threw seven innings, in which he allowed only one run and struck out six opposing hitters. On the season, Greinke now has a sparkling 2.84 ERA and is hoping to help bring another AL West crown (and World Series) to Houston.
Max Fried’s Slider
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Yesterday afternoon, Max Fried was able to go only five innings on the mound. Nevertheless, Fried was able to strike out eight Dodgers as the Braves picked up yet another win against LA. Fried is generally known for a curveball that gets some crazy drop, but here it’s his slider that was absolutely devastating as it comes back into the zone to freeze Justin Turner for strike three.
Mike Clevinger’s Fastball
https://gfycat.com/AffectionateQuestionableBlowfish
The Indians picked up an important win in the Bronx yesterday against the Yankees, and they have Mike Clevinger to thank for that. Clevinger was exquisite in the five innings he pitched yesterday, allowing zero runs and striking out 10 Yankees. He got Gary Sanchez swinging twice, once on a slider in the second inning and again here on this beautiful rising four-seamer.
Kirby Yates‘ Splitter
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Kirby Yates picked up save No. 35 yesterday as he continues to mow down seemingly every batter he faces. Yesterday, he struck out the side in order and was able to lower his ERA to 1.08 and raise his K/9 to an astounding 14.58. The inning started with a 13-pitch battle against Jean Segura, who was eventually put away by Yates’ vicious splitter.
Matt Boyd’s Slider
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Matt Boyd redeemed himself yesterday after a horrible outing last Monday in which he gave up seven runs. Today, Boyd went seven innings and struck out nine batters while only allowing one to cross home plate. I’m still a believer in Boyd going forward as his slider is just too good to ignore. The pitch has a 12.6 pVAL this season, and as Mike Zunino can let you know, it is a tough pitch to hit.
Kevin Gausman’s Splitter
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So Kevin Gausman was lights out yesterday. I know it’s unexpected considering his ERA above six going into the day, but Gausman struck out all six batters he faced in order, so he gets a shout out here. Oh, I almost forgot: He also had an immaculate inning! Here’s the last pitch from that perfect nine-pitch ninth inning, a splitter that got Tommy Edman whiffing.
GIF of the Night
Which was your favorite pitch? Vote below, and the winner will be featured in the GIF of the First Quarter Contest.
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