Before his first pitch at Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon, starter Nathan Eovaldi scooped up a rosin bag and patted it against his arms, creating clouds of powder. He then vigorously dug in with his foot around the pitching rubber and kicked dirt in the air, ruining the layout of a mound that was perfectly manicured just moments earlier.
As his feverish pregame routine indicates, Eovaldi is far from a finesse pitcher. He entered the day with the highest average fastball velocity in the majors, at 96.6 miles per hour. Throwing heat is his bread and butter.
For much of the season, Eovaldi has been able to control his pitches to lead the Yankees with 14 wins.