That's what they call making quick work of a hitter.
Yankees left-handed reliever Wandy Peralta struck out Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Tucupita Marcano on three pitches in just 20 seconds on Thursday. This is the latest example of how fast an at-bat can occur with baseball's new pitch clock.
First, Peralta got a called strike on the first pitch, Marcano fouled off the second pitch and then took a called strike three on the third pitch.
Under MLB's new pitch clock rules, pitchers have 15 seconds to begin their motion when the bases are empty. With runners on base, they have 20 seconds on the clock.
Although it's a small sample size, spring training games are averaging two hours and 39 minutes through the first four days of action. This is down 20 minutes from 2:57.
Meanwhile, Peralta is entering his third season with the Yankees. Last year, he pitched to a solid 2.72 ERA with four saves in 56 appearances.
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