If there’s one pitch that tells the story of Craig Kimbrel’s 2017 season to date, it’s not a fastball.
Ignore the three straight heaters he blew past Max Kepler to finish the eighth inning and strand the tying run on third base before the Red Sox’ 10-run ninth inning during a 17-6 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.
It’s the breaking ball he threw just before that at-bat to Kepler. A high breaking ball. It started off the plate, as if it was sailing to backstop. It was elevating. And then it took a sharp turn, down and to the left.