We had some chances and I'm still trying to figure out why I missed that hanging curveball (in a sixth-inning strikeout). The double late in the game was good but that wasn't the story. We should have been ahead before that.
Quotes about strikeout (16 Quotes)
That was big. Sherrill gets a big strikeout against a very good hitter and then Mateo gets one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball in a situation like that.
Woody uses it more as a strikeout pitch. He's using it the way other pitchers might use a splitter or a cutter. There's no doubt it's a good weapon when you're working with it like he does, ahead in the count.
Some of it has to do with the fact that we have a strikeout pitching staff. I always liked my teams at the top of the league in defense and double plays. Any time you can get two outs on one pitch, it's a lot less pitches for your pitchers. A lot of times, it gets you out of the inning out of trouble.
Warming up for the second inning, I threw my split-finger and everything clicked. The first two starts, I haven't felt like I've been consistently bearing the pitch well and I didn't feel like I've been throwing it at a good angle. And I threw it and it was exactly what I wanted it to be from a feel standpoint. And mentally, I was like, 'There it is.' From that point on, when I needed a strikeout, I felt very comfortable about command, fastball-wise, and about the fact I could bury my split in the ground.
There's really no words to describe what Holly did today. She had perfect control, save for that first at bat, and made Mercer swing the bat. It's a really great feat to get 15 outs by strikeout.
I thought (Hastings) settled down nicely, he found a groove. He's not going to be a big strikeout pitcher, so he's got to get kids to hit the ball on the ground, to pop it up, and we've got to play defense behind him. We need to take how we played in the last five innings into next week. We've got a chance for a win, there.
He is a contact guy, but he can also get some batters out using the strikeout. Basically, his command of his pitches dictates where the hitter makes contact. You like to have that in a pitcher.
Jon is thrilled to be coming here to get a Penn State education, and we are just as excited. Jon is a quality lefty who has a 90 mph-plus fastball. He's a strikeout pitcher who has good control.
He's been outstanding the last two years. He has really improved his command. His strikeout numbers have been outstanding.
I've never heard a crowd boo a homer, but I've heard plenty of boos after a strikeout.
But I got a guy on third, I was in a jam the other day in a game, all those situations, when you need a strikeout there, in big spots. But we are very aware of that fact, that these guys put the ball in play.
If you look at the strikeout leaders, pretty much each year they're the more prominent power hitters. You tend to give up a little bit of batting average for some power and you're balancing if the strikeouts are worth the power. That's a trade we're willing to make.
It's an attitude. You're doing what needs to be done to get the run in. The last thing you want is a strikeout. Then nothing can happen. You have to see where the defense is playing you, formulate a plan and go to work.
I'm really looking to Violette to be our top strikeout pitcher with a year under his belt. MacDonald and Miller are right there with him and the other four guys all have the ability to pitch well for us.
Our strength will be our defense. Our pitchers will learn to use the defense, knowing they don't have to go for the strikeout and can get the ground balls.