Putting on the breaks
Kimbrel improves command
If there’s one pitch that tells the story of Craig Kimbrel’s 2017 season to date, it’s not a fastball.
Ignore the three straight heaters he blew past Max Kepler to finish the eighth inning and strand the tying run on third base before the Red Sox’ 10-run ninth inning during a 17-6 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.
It’s the breaking ball he threw just before that atbat — a high breaking ball. It started off the plate, as if it was sailing to the backstop. It was elevating. And then it took a sharp turn, down and to the left. It clipped the topright corner. Home plate umpire Dan Iassogna didn’t hesitate, pumping his fist and striking out Joe Mauer.
Mauer, a player who might one day land in the Hall of Fame, had no choice but to get in Iassogna’s face and argue.
What else could he have done? Most hitters are trained to avoid breaking balls unless they hang over the plate. Who is going to chase an outside breaking ball on a full count against a guy who throws 100 mph?
“I was just trying to throw a good one,” Kimbrel said afterward. “It was a little tough. . . . The balls were a little slick. It kind of slipped out on me, and I feel like I got a pretty generous call there as well.”
Speaking of generous, Kimbrel’s compliment was beyond charitable. The pitch clearly clipped the outer edge of the plate, confirmed by both the K-zone on the broadcast and the Kzone on MLB.com’s Gameday feature. It was a strike. It was the perfect strike.
Over the past three weeks, Kimbrel has been pretty close to perfect himself.
He’s faced 32 batters and struck out 21. He hasn’t walked a batter and allowed just two hits — a double and a home run.
“This month has far surpassed anything he did last year,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said.
Like with most pitchers, it comes down to command. Maybe when you’re one of a few who can throw in the triple digits, you don’t need to place it so perfectly. But baseball has changed since Kimbrel first came into the league in 2010.
Back then, the average fastball thrown by a relief pitcher was 92.4 mph. In 2017, it’s 93.7 mph. Command is everything. And Kimbrel didn’t have it for much of last year.
“Last year was a strong year for him — maybe not to the caliber he has previous,” Farrell said. “There were some things he was working through. Throw in knee surgery. Throw in a finger ailment.”
He walked a career-high 5.1 batters per nine innings. His breaking ball became less effective. Who is going to chase a breaking ball when they’re ahead in the count?
This year he’s gone back to the breaking ball, throwing it a career-high 35 percent of the time.
“I feel like when I can command my fastball it kind of opens up being able to throw the breaking ball,” he said. “You don’t have to be so pinpoint with it. So far this year it’s been going pretty good.”
His teammates were in awe watching him enter the game with the tying run on third base and only one out, then striking out both hitters he faced on Sunday.
“That situation . . . I feel like it’s easy for him,” said catcher Sandy Leon. “He strikes out two guys like it’s nothing.”
Starter and winner Chris Sale gave Kimbrel the ultimate compliment.
“That’s a guy that, he doesn’t have to shy away from anything,” Sale said. “He doesn’t have to pitch around guys. There’s no need to. He’s the best in the business. You guys have seen it for a while. I’ve watched it from the outside.
“He has as good of stuff if not the best stuff I’ve ever seen on a baseball field.”
It was a somewhat bold move for Farrell to turn to Kimbrel in that situation. Kimbrel had never before recorded a five-out save.
“That’s the highest leverage point of the game right there,” Farrell said.
But Farrell has often waited to use Kimbrel as long as he could. He chose not to use him in the ninth inning of a tie game Friday against Mauer, who hit a walkoff homer on Matt Barnes.
And Farrell didn’t want to use him for a four-out save in early April because he said it was too early in the season.
Perhaps when Carson Smith returns from his yearlong absence following surgery and Tyler Thornburg returns from a shoulder strain, Farrell will have enough options to use Kimbrel freely, to call on him in the seventh or eighth inning in the most high-leverage situations.
“Get us another Craig Kimbrel and we’ll do that,” Farrell said. “I think the postseason last year, everyone thought this is the way a bullpen should be used. In a short series, yes. In 162 games, that’s going to be an awfully big challenge.”
Until then, Kimbrel will keep closing. He’s been pretty good at it.