It doesn't seem fair, but Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw has developed a delivery trick that makes his pitches more difficult to hit.
Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, has used the trick in rare instances so far, but Saturday night's NLCS Game 6 would be a good time for Kershaw to try anything that makes him harder to hit.
MORE: Why Dodgers are in deep trouble | Dodgers at Cubs, Game 6, 8 p.m. ET
Since returning from a 2½-month stint on the disabled list in September, Kershaw has dropped to sidearm for seven pitches MLB.com reported.
Kershaw had a sidearm delivery as a high school pitcher. But back then, he didn't have Statcast monitoring every pitch. What the statistical service shows now is on those sidearm pitches Kershaw's fastball was in the 95-96 mph range, versus his normal fastball range of 92-95. Add the unpredictable angle the sidearm delivery presents to hitters and the pitcher regarded as baseball's best becomes even more dangerous.
"He was messing with it a couple of times down in the bullpen, and then all of a sudden he started pulling it out and he's throwing 95, 96," Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt told MLB.com. "It is a different look. Sometimes it seems like it's almost more (challenging) for the right-handers.
"Next thing you know, he'll be spinning breaking balls from down there."
Kershaw went sidearm against some of baseball's best hitters: Bryce Harper (twice), Nolan Arenado, Brandon Crawford, Daniel Murphy, Brandon Belt and Gerardo Parra.
While seven pitches is a small sample, Kershaw's new look has worked. He's got four strikes, one out and two balls on sidearm deliveries.
Despite the apparent success of the sidearm delivery, Kershaw says he is not planning to use it more often against the Cubs.
"Probably not, to be honest," Kershaw told MLB.com. "It's not something that — just every once in a while for a different look. But it's not going to be a huge part of the game plan by any means."