All six strikeouts were on off-speed pitches
Stephen Strasburg’s command of his off-speed pitches was particularly impressive on Saturday in his six innings of work in a 3-2 win over Miami. Five of his strikeouts came on curveballs, four swinging. The other came on his unique 89 mph change-up.
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“I was trying to build off the last outing and keep trusting it,” Strasburg said of his curve. “It’s definitely come a long way.”
Of the 24 curves thrown by Strasburg, 16 were for strikes. The only ball put in play off a Strasburg curve was a ground ball single by Greg Dobbs. Strasburg threw 10 change-ups, including seven for strikes. Three balls were put in play off Strasburg change-ups, two ground outs and a ground ball double to right by Jose Reyes.
Strasburg said that two starts ago in New York, he found himself overthrowing his curve in the bullpen before the game. The adjustment he made has paid dividends and led him to a better understanding of how to control the pitch.
“What’s overlooked is how much he’s learned in a year. A lot of teams are going to jump on his fastball, especially a team like [Miami],” Zimmerman said. “He threw more curveballs today, more off-speed stuff today, than he probably ever has, especially for strikes. It’s amazing how quickly he adapts and learns – not really from his mistakes – but just what other teams have done to him. When you have that kind of stuff and that kind of mental approach to the game, it’s a pretty deadly combo.”
