Iggie & Nate: Working It For Five In 2007
Posted by Steve Lombardi on July 16, 2007
The Yankees Kei Igawa pitched 5 innings in the Bronx tonight - facing 26 batters, fanning 7, and throwing 115 pitches. This made me curious - wondering if any other pitcher this season has thrown 5 (or less) innings in a game, where they threw 115+ pitches, and faced 26 batters (or less) and had 7 strikeouts (or less)? Thanks to Baseball-Reference's Player Index Picthing Game Finder, the answer is ready within seconds.
It's only happened once before this season: On May 14, 2007, when Nate Robertson of the Tigers threw 5 innings, faced 25 batters, whiffed 3 and threw 115 pitches.
If the Yankees and Tigers manage to face-off in the post-season again this year, I'm rooting for an Igawa-Robertson match-up in one of the games. It will be a fun (?) little contest to see, head-to-head, who can throw the most pitches in the least amount of innings. I just hope that Al Leiter gets to do the analysis of the two for FOX in that contest - offering some expert opinion on high-pitch, low inning total, counts.