On his 95th pitch of the game, Cincinnati Reds rookie starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft threw a 100 mph sinker that landed a few inches inside the edge of the strike zone.
Ashcraft’s sinker is the “bowling ball” of a pitch that got him to the Reds rotation so quickly. It’s a pitch that he can’t really throw straight but still confuses hitters with its velocity and its late movement.
When Ashcraft threw his final sinker of the sixth inning, Chicago Cubs center fielder Nelson Velazquez whiffed at the pitch without ever really seeing it. Ashcraft struck out his second batter of the inning, and he left the game on track to secure his seventh quality start in his 15th big league game.