Paul Sewald has helped transform this Arizona Diamondbacks roster in multiple ways since he returned from his oblique injury in early-May. The veteran closer has taken on a leadership role with the team while striving to never stop improving. He's attempting to learn a new pitch mid-season, the Change up, though it remains to be seen how frequently it'll be used.
Tucker Barnhart received the Victory Vest Friday night after a win against the White Sox in which he had two hits and two RBI. "Sewald's the guy that does the talking after the game. He's been doing it a lot lately talking after games which is fun." "I've been throwing it in warmups, just trying to make sure I get a feel for it...What a better time for it...It'll be hard to tell if I throw it again because nothing frustrates me more than giving pitches away especially when I don't need it. We'll see."to throw against lefties in order to get them out easier. In a blowout victory, Sewald figured that this was the best time to get some work in with the new pitch.
"I don't pitch very often in games where I can try it and see what happens. That's part of the issue, I'm not at the luxury to, I'm not a starter who has multiple innings, I'm not a multiple-inning reliever that if I'm going to face 10 guys, I can throw it against one or two. I'm trying to get in and out as fast as possible."
Sewald mentioned how that's the worst part of pitching or being a closer. He conceded that "hitting is clearly harder" but that he'd give anything to be able to spend "seven hours on my swing" in a cage or to work on his "pitching craft" but that he doesn't have the "luxury" to do so.