MLB Central discusses a game to remember from Chris Sale and Blake Snell!

They both throw about the same velocity. Obviously, a little different. Snell's more over the top sales got this just condor like almost like Madison Bumgarner used to have where he shows you so much going at it, but this was just an unbelievable pitching duel. Two of the best left handers in the game and it was almost decided in the first inning. Mostly all these good guys usually get into a groove. But the way Snell Snell's throwing the ball and the way sales been throwing the ball all year, they let you know in the first inning what they're about. So I wanna dive in. Give me some epic like golden gate. Yeah, it is Brendan. It was on, it was on from inning number one. I want to set the scene right here. First inning. Snell has been on an absolute heater. So pause this last seven games. He's got a 0.99 a uh yes fielding, independent pitching is a 2.03. Basically, he's been unhittable. His last six starts coming in and the bottom line is for him. It's command based if he can show you his breaking stuff in the zone early in the game. Then he gets some of the most disgusting swings out of the zone late in the game. So he's gonna take apart Austin Riley right here in the top of the first with a 2 to 97 mile heater. And here comes Marcelo Zuna, the best hitter on the Braves this year. And I want you to watch him go to work. He gets a 96 mile an hour four seamer Then breaking ball back in the zone. 11, just the sharpness and crispness of his breaking stuff. Elevator heater, pause this elevates the heater 22. We talk about it a multitude of times. As soon as they elevate the heater, they want tunnel the breaking ball off of it. Watch him drop this rainbow on Marcelo Zuna in the first. I mean, it's game on now, you know, he's got his high heater at 97 at the top of the zone and you know, he's got a feel for his breaking stuff left on left against him is basically suicide. You're not getting too many knocks. You watch Matt Olson right now, he's gonna get a high heater foul it in the other dugout and watch this tight slider paint pellet away in the first inning. So they're walking to get their gloves to take the pause. This to take the field in the bottom of the first going. Oh my God, he's on again. All right. So I wanna show the pitch usage board of how he attacked the Braves last night in comparison to his first six starts. First, let's see, the season splits by starts. You got Blake's now, first six starts. 9.51. Er, a screams to him not being ready, not pitching in spring training, not having a normal kind of lead into the season. Last seven games almost unhittable. And last night his first six starts, he only used his curveball 19% of the time. I just think he didn't have a good feel for it wasn't landing it for strikes, getting in too many hitters counts and being kind of, they know a heater is coming in that spot, not the case. The last seven starts commanding all his off speed for strikes. Curveball was 33% of the time last night and he pretty much could have let him know it was coming, get back into the tape and it was dominant from there. It was breaking ball, it was high heater at the top of the zone. Orlando Arcia had no chance. Oh, mix in this nasty 90 mile an hour. Just disgusting slider that he throws in on Sean Murphy right here after elevating heaters, the depth the way this ball explodes down through the zone, they just had no answer for it. Bring up the heat map for Blake Snell real quick. This is the difference. First six games he's looking for the fish can't land it in the zone. It's not showing in the zone. So guys are spitting on it and getting in heater counts last seven games in zone. Almost 40% of the time. He could throw it to you. Oo to get ahead and Then put you away with it. He can put you away with it after showing you the elevated heater and Then just for a wrinkle, he's got that tight little slider in. So get back into the tape. He was unbelievable. And I love how he emptied the bucket in his seventh right here. Basically turns to Bob Melvin said that's enough. 114 pitches. I'm good. Let's get the bullpen in on the flip side. Pause this real quick. You saw how dominant Sne Snell was in the top of the first, this game was won by chris Sale and the Braves in the first inning. He could have gave up a two spot here real quick and it would have got away from him and he didn't do it. This is what the greats do and I loved it. Run this real quick first batter of the game. Tyler Fitzgerald pop up center field, got it one out. Let's throw it around. What we overrun a pop up there was some wind up there last night in San francisco, but a big league center fielders got to make that play and now it's 1st and 3rd. Nobody out. And you're thinking All right. He's gonna give up a run right here. Not the case. Watch him go to work slider. That's a strike that he doesn't get back in the account with another slider. 11 now elevate a heater right by him. Two outs. He gets a little ground ball to third base right here and he gets out of the first inning without giving up a run 1st and 3rd. Nobody out and he gets out of it because he knew he had to get out of it because that's how good Snell was. And Then he went to work, the slider was just phenomenal again , left handers just no chance. And Then he took apart Matt Chapman three different times, three different ways. Again, that's kind of a same thing he did to Mike Remesy to first at bat and the slider was unhittable. He was back door it, he was throwing it down and into the right handers. He could elevate the heater with surprise and I just wanted to show to loho, but before we show this real quick, bring up Snell's boards. I mean, sale, Chris sale most runs saved on a pitch type this season. You got Chris sale with the slider Kate smith out of the bullpen with the Guardians. His slider is basically unhittable and Then last night he used his slider and you look at the drop note career high as a starting pitcher, including a postseason, almost 60% of the time he went to that pitch last night and it basically was on fire. Just give me that low home. I want people at home to see what these guys look like. So he's gonna give you way more low three quarter kind of coming at you and he's more generic over the top, but just dominant stuff from both of them run that back real quick and Then just get to arm release for me Lucas and stop it. I just want to show people at home what it looks like. Keep going right there. Back it up one look at that. I mean, you're getting it from here from chris sale and up top from Blake Snell. What I mean, just dominant Blake Snell is on a run. I know they lost the game but I thought he was throwing a no hitter in the sixth inning.