Hisashi Iwakuma Goes Dangerous, 2
Surrender now? Or do you still require incentive?
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The Decent, Dept.
Our own post-Texas script axed Iwakuma to get him some respect, as Moyer and Vargas and Maddux and etc. had to do in order to pitch with 80-something fastballs. To go inside and up the letters with the fastball, and then to go below the knees with breaking pitches on two strikes.
In the first inning Friday, Iwakuma-san seemed to be (inadvertently) following Dr. D's prescription. His very first pitch to B.J. Upton was a crisp fastball letter-high, where Upton might swing underneath it. As opposed to "pitching to contact," you know.
Later in the AB -- #6 on the GameDay -- he seemed to throw a ... forkball?! And on pitch 7, he challenged Upton with a humped-up 92 fastball. Struck him out. One batter into the game, Iwakuma had exceeded his Texas strikeout total by a ratio of infinity.
The command was still not impressive in the first, but the attack factor was much much much much better. Iwakuma finished the inning with an 8-pitch battle against Jeff Keppinger... pitches 6 and 7, Iwakuma set him up with two 86 MPH pitches an dthen pitch 8, Iwakuma humped up again and blew a 93 fastball by him for an IN YO' FACE strikeout.
Game on. Okaaaayyyyyyyy.
He's got two starts' worth of handwarming, out of the walk-in freezer, and already he's able to defend himself.
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With One Out In the Third, We've Got a #4-5 Starter ...
Iwakuma led off the second inning with a 91 fastball to Luke Scott, well up over his hands. This is not a pitch-to-contact idea, and Dr. D raised a Vulcan eyebrow in ... not hope yet, but intrigue.
Then, after getting jobbed by the ump for a 1-0 count, Iwakuma threw a real live Jamie Moyer jam pitch to Desmond Jennings:
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It was the first of many pitches thrown not only in on the hands, but actually in off the plate, like let's say he knew what he was doing or something. Check out the precision grouping of the inside pitches he threw to RHH's:
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You'll also notice a lot of centered fastballs. But the difference was, Iwakuma set up the challenge fastballs with see-saw pitch sequencing. Against RH's, for example, he had a near-perfect mix of 22 offspeed pitches against 28 fastballs.
In the third inning, Iwakuma led off with his third haymaker in as many attempts: a 91 fastball up over the hands, four inches over the top of the zone. We're still thinking that Jesus Montero can't call a game?
Dr. D relaxed. This Iwakuma would be all right.
The rest of the third inning was to quickly diabuse him of this notion.
NEXT
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