Needless to say, insurance runs are everything when it comes to winning baseball games. You can never have enough. Especially, in the late innings. As the game creeps closer to the most coveted 27th Out, the excess helps the pitchers at the back end of a game breathe easier. As well as adding an extra obstacle for the losing lineup to spark a comeback. On Friday, I witnessed, in person, none other than Giancarlo Stanton, tack one more run on the board in the bottom of the 7th. I saw it coming the whole way. Even from the upper deck behind home plate in Yankee Stadium. Don’t

Long story short, you can’t double up (worse yet, triple up) on pitches to this caliber of hitter. Alas, we already know not to hang a Slider to him. Later on, when I watched the video of the at bat, something more jumped out at me. Pitching 101...Don’t Miss Your Spots. No matter how hard you throw!

 

DON’T MISS YOUR SPOTS
TO GIANCARLO
Breaking Down the At Bat

Luis Santos of the Toronto Blue Jays was the culprit. Now I hate to praise hitters over pitchers. However, a slugger with the stature of Giancarlo, it is impossible to not appreciate what he means to the game. Let’s dive into this at bat which opened the heavens shortly afterwards.

Bottom of the 7th, Yankees are leading 6-5. The highest paid player in the history of baseball is leading off the inning.

Pitch #1: Fastball Up, Top of the Zone, 94 MPH, Called Strike

The pitch was where catcher Russell Martin wanted it. Santos established the high fastball, he just opened a lot of avenues to locate his next pitches after this.

 

Pitch #2: Slider Down & Away, 86 MPH, Ball

Good follow up pitch to the high fastball. Good movement on the Slider, just missed the zone.

 

Pitch #3: Fastball Up, Top of the Zone, 92 MPH, Fouled Straight Back

Santos is creating a good Up & Down Sequence here. The 2 fastballs up were where Martin wanted them. Now with the count 1-2, he has Big G set up to go back Down & Away.

 

Pitch #4: Fastball Up & In, Top Inner Corner of the Zone, 95 MPH. Fouled Straight Back

Martin set up for the fastball Down & Away on this pitch. While Santos missed his spot completely on the opposite corner of the strike zone, he certainly got away with one here as G fouled it straight back, again. Now you have to go Down & Away, right?

 

Pitch #5 Fastball Up, Top of the Zone, 95 MPH, HOME RUN!!!!

Martin set up Down & Away again for the fastball, while Santos missed about 3 feet higher, Giancarlo did not. When a player of this caliber sees the same pitch 3 times in a row, he is not going to miss it. 431 Feet later over the Yankee bullpen in deep Right Center, SEE YA!!! The view from my seat was quite majestic. A no doubter off the bat which the whole stadium knew immediately was gone. Santos included.

 

 

DON’T MISS YOUR SPOTS
TO GIANCARLO
Afterthoughts

When you get away with a fastball up & over the plate that gets fouled straight back, it is now time to change speeds and change eye levels. When you get away with a second fastball up and over the plate, You Got LUCKY! There is now a sense of urgency to make a better pitch as the margin for error is miniscule. The hitter is getting more and more comfortable. Never let that happen. This is a tell tale sign that the hitter is locked in on your fastball. Something bad will happen if you don’t make an adjustment. Clearly the case here…

Until the last pitch, Santos, still had command of the at bat. If either of the last 2 pitches he could have executed efficiently, Down & Away where the target was, the result would have been drastically different. Unfortunately, for Santos, the Blue Jays, and all of Canada, Giancarlo is too strong and too quick to the ball. Of course he was going to square it up on his 4th look at it. He is not concerned with Launch Angle. He has defied the concept over and over again. The $325M Man plays at a whole different level. The whole launch angle craze is reserved for the 7th hitter sacrificing 70 points on the batting average just to jump from 17 to 25 HRs. This silly gimmick is below the man who’s Traps bulge through the pinstripes.  

 

DON’T MISS YOUR SPOTS
TO GIANCARLO
What Could Have Been?

You cannot have a mental lapse against great hitters. They can end careers on mistake pitches. However, like all hitters, they do have their vulnerabilities. Giancarlo will strike out his fair share. When you can work him In & Out, Up & Down, you can tie up his frealiskly long arms. He has a lot of strike zone to cover. Although, when 4 of the 5 pitches are thrown to one location, bad things will happen.

Santos had him set up to be put away. On the 1st pitch of the at bat, when he got the called strike at the top of the zone, he established up there. With 8-9 MPH differential Fastball to Slider, you don’t necessarily have to return back up there. You can stay down in the zone because the hitter already knows that you can locate up there. Thus, he now has to protect both top and bottom. Hitters can only protect 1 side of the zone….remember?

At the MLB level, inability to put away hitters with 2 strikes can lead to quick demotions. The more pitches a hitter sees, the more locked in he will become….That’s a HUGE NO NO!

Mentally see each pitch thrown properly in your mind, then physically execute it with Full Conviction.

DON’T MISS YOUR SPOTS
TO GIANCARLO
You are NOT Next!

As much as it is fun to watch Stanton’s home runs, it is difficult to put a pitcher’s pitfalls through the ringer on this platform.

Was there any coincidence that one batter after Stanton’s blast, the winds picked up and the umpire preemptively called the tarp onto the field, shortly before the rains forced the game to be called?  

In retrospect, don’t miss your spots, don’t double up on pitches, and certainly don’t make yourself the subject of a hitter’s success on the Slider Domination Blog. Stay aggressive and be in control of the at bat. Make the hitter hit your pitch!

 

Keep Dominating!!!