Marcus Stroman pitched a gem in Tuesday’s game 2 victory. Stroman went 6 scoreless innings, allowing just 4 hits, while walking none and striking out 3. So let’s break down how his successful outing went.
Stroman started off his outing with a quick perfect frame. Joyce hit a fly out to Dom Smith on a 4 Seamer in the middle of the zone and Hoskins hit a line out to Pillar in RF. Both of those balls were struck fairly well( 98.8 & 98.9mph), but right at outfielders. With no on and two out, Stroman faced Harper.
Stroman started off showing all his pitches. He started off with a 85.9 mph slider that had 45 inches of vertical movement (best in his outing). Harper did well to lay it off. Stroman followed with a cutter that just missed down. He tried to sink the ball down and away to get Harper to roll over it, but missed the zone. 3-0 count to a very good hitter.
Stroman didn’t buckle as he threw a sinker and 4 seamer to get back into the count. After Harper fouled off a slider just below the zone, Stroman followed with a nasty 89.5 mph slider down and in. Harper swung over it to retire the side.
In the second, Stroman got Realmuto to ground out on an 0-2 slider and got into Bohm his kitchen with a sinker down and in. Bohm lined to Alonso with a 76 Exit Velo.
Stroman ended another inning with a strikeout, as he struck out Didi Gregorius. Didi gave Stroman a battle as he struck out on the eight pitch of the at bat. Stroman, went up in the zone with a four seamer to get him swinging. Good to see Stroman going up with a four seamer more and more, to change the eye level of the hitters. Also worth mentioning that Stro didn’t get close calls in the bottom of the zone.
Stroman his at bat to Segura was a beauty. He started going away with the slider and got to 2-2. He followed with his first split change under the zone, which Segura could foul off. After going away with a four seamer (foul), he got Segura with his signature sinker under the zone. Segura grounded out to Lindor for the first out.
After going in to get Hasely to fly out softly (75.4mph exit velo), he got Nola to strike out, for his last strikeout of the outing.
Stroman allowed his first baserunner to open the fourth after a Joyce single. Joyce had career success and got a 0-2 fastball in the middle of the zone. Joyce hit got a XBA of .860, showing it was hit well.
Sinkers got in Hoskins kitchen as he grounded out to third. Villar made a wide throw, which McNeil had to lunge to get, which cost a potential double play.
Stroman got the next better to ground into the double play as Harper hit it hard but pounded the ball in the ground as Stroman got another sinker under a bat. (.220 XBA)
Two singles in the fifth got Stroman into his first real gem, but he got out of it without allowing a run. Stroman allowed a lead off hit by Realmuto (105.9 exit velo/.860XBA) and a 2 out single by Segura (104.5 exit velo/.370XBA). Stroman got Bohm to line out (.230XBA), Gregorius to pop out (.000XBA) and Hasely to fly out (.100XBA).
Another lead off hit in the sixth, was erased with Stroman second double play behind him. Miller singled to open the inning but Stroman went on to get Joyce on a first pitch sinker. Joyce hit it just 66.5mph exit velo so McNeil could only get a force out.
Hoskins ended Stromans outing with a hard hit grounder, that Lindor fielded well for a double play. Hoskins hit had a .620 XBA, but Lindor was equal to the fairly hard hit ball.
Stroman day was done and he pitched great. 6 scoreless innings with a lot of soft contact. He allowed a little more balls in the air, but when they were in the air, they wouldn’t get hit hard. Mostly Stroman gets his hard hit balls against on his ground balls, which gives fielders a shot to get outs with. So far this season, his ground ball percentage so far is at 62.2%, 4th highest in the league.
Below you see a breakdown by Baseball Savant including the success, spin rate, exit velo, velo and vertical and horizontal breaks on his pitches.
Its also good to see his release point on all his different pitches. As you see above, he has a ton of different pitches and his release point is so clean (see below).
Photo by: Mets Twitter







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