Evan Gattis hits head-high fastball for home run, impresses Trevor Bauer
Major league hitters are not supposed to swing at head-high fastballs, let alone turn on head-high fastballs and hit them out of the ballpark.
With that in mind, Houston Astros designated hitter Evan Gattis is anything but a typical major league hitter. He’s a free-swinger with little discipline but immense power. Power that was on display Wednesday when he did, in fact, turn on Trevor Bauer’s eye-level 94-mph fastball and lined an absolute rocket two-run home run to the left field concourse at Progressive Field.
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The exit velocity of Gattis’ home run is unknown at this time, perhaps because it left the bat too quickly to register a reading. The measured distance was 372 feet, which is really of little consequence when you consider the pitch location.
Setting the numbers aside, it’s simply one of the most impressive swings we’ve seen all season. Impressive enough that Bauer, the pitcher whose earned run average was damaged by Gattis’ swing, could only shake his head and say “Wow.”
The home run was Gattis’ 15th of the season. It adds to an impressive resume that also includes this home run against Anibal Sanchez that he almost literally hit off the ground.
It’s tough to find a place to pitch Gattis, but Bauer managed to adjust in the next three matchups by striking Gattis out three times. That included getting Gattis to chase one curveball that bounced three feet in front of home plate.
In fact, Bauer rebounded very well overall, holding Houston scoreless over his final seven innings. That allowed Cleveland’s offense to rally and Bauer to get a win in the Indians’ 4-2 victory.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
