Justin Lawrence’s sidearm style confounds hitters, especially right-handers who feel like the ball is coming to the plate from behind their backs.
On opening day, the Rockies’ right-hander fanned Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth on a combined 14 pitches. And while it’s early in the season, Lawrence appears to be evolving into a dependable weapon in the bullpen.
Over his first three appearances, Lawrence held opponents scoreless, allowing two hits with one walk and five strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings. He’s in a very good place, and with closer Daniel Bard on the injured list, as he deals with anxiety, Lawrence is going to get a lot of late-game duty. “Throwing the ball 100 mph is cool and all, but when you’re starting out every hitter 2-0, you’re in trouble,” Lawrence said. “These are the best hitters in the world and 100 won’t matter with a 2-0 count. So if it means being 95, 96, 97 and being in the zone with effective location, I’ll take that tradeoff.”
Left-handed hitters get a better look at his pitches, but if he executes, he can handle lefties, too.
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