But his tendency to throw "one bad pitch," as he called that down-and-in sinker to Roberts, and have one bad inning is what concerns the Yankees as they steam toward the American League East title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
On Saturday, Collins hoped to see Mejia mix in sinkers and better off-speed pitches with his mid-90s fastball.
Similar concerns are now being raised about the lead in sinkers and jig heads, so tackle manufacturers are replacing it with substitute metals such as steel, tungsten, bismuth, and tin.
In contrast, sinker roots that developed from laterals were 10 20 mm in diameter, tapered along their length, reached depths of up to 1 m, and often ended with splayed root tips.
A batter may face a 3-2 bacurveballrveball from Takahashi in the first inning, a 3-0 cut fastball in the fourth, a 2-1 sinker in the sixth and, if good fortune is shining on him, perhaps a nasty two-seam fastball in the eighth.
Glavine struck out Brown to end the inning, on another sinker.
The bait may be weighted down with what is called a ledger in Britain and a sinker in the United States, usually of lead.
Ayala rediscovered his sinker in winter ball in Mexico, working with his old pitching coach.
On Sunday it led him here, to a ballpark nestled in a mountain, still seeking the deadliest sinker in baseball.
The Mets' pitching coach, Dan Warthen, said Beato's repertory, which includes a 94-miles-per-hour fastball, a sinker in the low 90s and a curveball in the low 80s, made him a viable candidate to close.
Bismuth's density also makes it a non-toxic lead replacement in fishing sinkers.
