SAN DIEGO – Zack Greinke can grow his legend just by accident. He sat behind the cool mound at Petco Park to check on the crews of the site on Sunday and, somehow, it was the second-odd snapshot of Greinke’s day.
The 53.5 mph strike after Padres leadoff hitter Trent Grisham during the third inning raised eyebrows in the ballpark and ran the sport – another chapter of Greinke’s 2020 season that becomes a spectacle. He sat between cuts in the low seats of Oakland and gave his signs away in the next two starts.
On Sunday, however, Greinke grabbed the slowest strike by a pitcher in a major league game since 2017, according to MLB.com. The pitch of 53.5 mph was officially classified as a curveball. Some called it an eephus. Greinke called it an accident.
“Definitely wasn’t planned, but it worked,” Greinke said.
Greinke’s slow offers are nothing new. Its curveball averages 72.7 mph and can hide in the low 60s. Sunday’s bid was Greinke’s slowest since a 52.7 mph eup house on September 5, 2017 against the Dodgers.
It all happened in the third inning. Greinke had a lead of three points and two outs. He came to a 1-1 count against Grisham – the San Diego leadoff man who hit three home games during Saturday’s 13-2 victory.
Greinke wanted to turn a corner. He and catcher Martín Maldonado went through their set of characters. Greinke thought the two agreed. Maldonado set off, immediately signaling problems.
“I knew we were not on the same page,” Greinke said.
“Every time I catch a catcher and he’s in a place I did not expect, I’m stepping or pitching. A slow pitch. ”
Greinke intended to do it here. He wanted to put a 60 mph pitchout so far out that Grisham would not swing.
He started his delivery, but in the middle something happened that Greinke himself could not even explain. The pitch pulled in and landed in the middle of Grisham’s stretch zone. Home-plate umpire Cory Glaser called it a strike. Grisham turned out to be laughing. The television broadcaster Astros responded with heartfelt – and unhappy – laughter.
“I do not know what happened the last tenth of a second,” Greinke said. “I do not remember thinking of throwing a strike, it just happened.”
‘Hopefully I don’t do that anymore. Most of the time I try to throw a pitchout with it and I do not know why I did not throw a pitchout at that time, it just did not happen. ‘
As soon as everyone regained some semblance of normalcy, Greinke turned to Grisham. He and Maldonado agreed on a four-seater fast-sea. Greinke pushed it to the outer half. It was 89.4 mph – almost a difference of 37 mph. Grisham saw the sail through for strike three.
Greinke handed over three deserved runes in six innings. His ERA sits at 2.29 and he remains the ace of Houston staff with Justin Verlander absent. Still. most of the conversation on Sunday revolved around the slow ball. Greinke did not consider it much to see.
“I can throw a pitch that wants to slow down every time,” Greinke said. “It’s not that hard to do.”
