The Bender. The Hook. Uncle Charlie. The Yellow Hammer. Public Enemy Number One. Those are just a few of the nicknames for the Curveball. Many people have tried to describe the Curveball as an "optical illusion." In 1949, Aeronautical Engineer Ralph B. Lightfoot of Sikorsky Aircraft did wind tunnel tests that proved a Curveball does curve. Hall of Fame Pitcher Dizzy Dean eloquently said about the Curveball "Stand behind a tree 60 feet away, and I'll whomp you with an optical illusion."
Clayton Kershaw had the nastiest Curveball he has had all season against the Washington Nationals. Knees buckled. Hitters stared with bats on their shoulders. Hitters swung and missed. No matter what happened, the Washington Nationals hitters shook their heads. Kershaw struck out the best player in the National League, Bryce Harper, three times. Harper said of Kershaw after the game "He put on a clinic today" and "sometimes you just gotta tip your cap and laugh." (Washington Post). Nationals hitters swung and missed at 30 Kershaw pitches, the most swings and misses a pitcher has had in the past seven years. Kershaw commented after the game that he may have had the most consistent slider he has had all season. (Los Angeles Times).
Kershaw pitched eight innings and had 14 strikeouts. He only gave up three hits. He has 27 strikeouts in his last 17 innings pitched and has given up zero runs during that time. It looks like Kershaw may be hitting his stride and that may spell trouble for the rest of the National League every fifth day.
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