Who the hell expects a fastball on 2 strikes? Isn’t there something called an “out pitch” that many pitchers rely on to finish off batters? Something that isnt a fastball? You know, like Wainwright’s curveball which he has been using as an out-pitch his whole career? Its sorta something thats listed on every scouting report – pitchers’ repertoire.
He was their closer nearly all year. Little data or not, how do you not have some intel on the opposing closer?
Wainwright throws an incredible curve that gets a lot of people out. It is entirely possible that he was looking curve and still got rung up. The pitch is just that good.
From Dave Allen:
“As I wrote about earlier his curveball was one of the best in the game. It still is, ranking second. It gets lots of out of zone swings (40%), while only getting 55% in zone swings. That means hitters are only slightly more likely to swing at it in the zone than out. Showing how deceiving it is and resulting in called strikes and swinging at balls. On top of that it gets lots of whiffs (33%) and grounders (59%). An incredible pitch.”
*shrug* I never said it was rational, but to my dying day I will believe we should have won that game after the Endy catch and all that emotion going through Shea. I firmly believe that had Beltran just swung the Baseball Gods would have guided his bat.
Tedquarters 
Who the hell expects a fastball on 2 strikes? Isn’t there something called an “out pitch” that many pitchers rely on to finish off batters? Something that isnt a fastball? You know, like Wainwright’s curveball which he has been using as an out-pitch his whole career? Its sorta something thats listed on every scouting report – pitchers’ repertoire.
Wainwright was a rookie that year…not much data to mine.
He was their closer nearly all year. Little data or not, how do you not have some intel on the opposing closer?
Wainwright throws an incredible curve that gets a lot of people out. It is entirely possible that he was looking curve and still got rung up. The pitch is just that good.
From Dave Allen:
“As I wrote about earlier his curveball was one of the best in the game. It still is, ranking second. It gets lots of out of zone swings (40%), while only getting 55% in zone swings. That means hitters are only slightly more likely to swing at it in the zone than out. Showing how deceiving it is and resulting in called strikes and swinging at balls. On top of that it gets lots of whiffs (33%) and grounders (59%). An incredible pitch.”
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-best-pitcher-with-a-bad-fastball/
*shrug* I never said it was rational, but to my dying day I will believe we should have won that game after the Endy catch and all that emotion going through Shea. I firmly believe that had Beltran just swung the Baseball Gods would have guided his bat.
*facepalm city*