![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Bogaerts-Severino.gif\")
<\/p>\nXander Bogaerts\u2019 nemesis stood atop the mound. Not some ace with a living room full of hardware. No, just a guy with a history of supplying Bogaerts with headaches.<\/p>\n
Every neuron in Bogaerts\u2019 brain tells him he should be able to conquer Luis Severino. Instead, he\u2019s 2-for-32 against him. Severino haunts his nightmares.<\/p>\n
In March, he thought it was finally his time. He thought the Law of Averages would have his back. He was due.<\/p>\n
Twice, he stepped in to face Severino during the World Baseball Classic.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing,\u201d said the San Diego Padres shortstop.<\/p>\n
Two harmless flyouts to center.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy bat doesn\u2019t like him or something,\u201d Bogaerts said.<\/p>\n
There are frontline starters who silence nearly every bat they encounter, the Cy Young Award winners with mind-melting fastballs and gravity-bending sliders. Then, there are pitchers of lesser esteem who sometimes inexplicably hold a spell on certain hitters of high regard. Nothing about the results computes. The hitter knows the track record and can\u2019t comprehend or shake it, even if it\u2019s a small sample.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth parties are aware,\u201d said Athletics slugger Brent Rooker.<\/p>\n
For Bogaerts, Severino is the one who leaves him perplexed, the one who has him asking why this guy, of all guys, owns him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s probably the one,\u201d Bogaerts said, \u201cthat I\u2019ll be, like, \u2018Man.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n Severino stumps Bogaerts on July 1, 2018.<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t have to make sense. That\u2019s baseball.<\/p>\n
Kyle Gibson held Pete Alonso hitless in 17 at-bats.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I actually have more outs than at-bats,\u201d recalled Alonso, who has crushed Blake Snell and Corbin Burnes but could never solve Gibson, whom he has referred to as \u201cThe Nibbler.\u201d Alonso did, in fact, hit into a double play against Gibson, along with six strikeouts.<\/p>\n
Kyle Schwarber has clobbered Chris Sale, Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease, but he wilted against Chad Kuhl. Schwarber said he faced Kuhl a lot when he \u201cwas not the best hitter.\u201d He remembers Kuhl mostly as a Pittsburgh Pirate who tossed a sinker, cutter, a big curveball and a slider he couldn\u2019t resist.<\/p>\n
Kuhl kept Schwarber to three hits in 20 at-bats, with one walk and six strikeouts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember talking to him one time,\u201d Schwarber said, \u201cand being like, \u2018Dude, I don\u2019t hit you very well.\u2019 \u2026 I would always swing at his slider and it was always a ball. Like, \u2018Why am I always swinging?\u2019 I know it\u2019s coming, and I kept swinging.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Schwarber-Kuhl.gif\")
<\/p>\n
\n Kuhl gets the best of Schwarber on Sept. 4, 2017.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s how perennial All-Star Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez assesses his 1-for-17 showing against journeyman reliever Taylor Rogers. Ram\u00edrez said Rogers throws him nothing but sinkers away, and he always hits a weak grounder to short.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes, baseball is stupid,\u201d Ram\u00edrez said, before flashing two thumbs up. \u201cSometimes, baseball is good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jordan Lyles recorded a 5.22 ERA across 14 big-league seasons, but Trevor Story has an idea of how he fared against him.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot good!\u201d Story shot back. Three hits in 27 at-bats, to be exact \u2014 with 13 strikeouts.<\/p>\n
Story wondered if Lyles upped his game when the two crossed paths since they played together with the Colorado Rockies. Otherwise, it\u2019s a simple matter of a hitting approach not jibing with a pitching style.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are always certain guys you don\u2019t pick the ball up well (against),\u201d Story said.<\/p>\n
Paul Goldschmidt was thrilled when Ronald Belisario moved on from the Los Angeles Dodgers after the 2013 season. Belisario held Goldschmidt, then with the Arizona Diamondbacks, hitless in 10 at-bats. Pedro B\u00e1ez joined the Los Angeles pen in 2014 and assumed the role of Goldschmidt\u2019s primary tormentor.<\/p>\n
In a 2016 sequence Goldschmidt remembers vividly, he slugged a home run off B\u00e1ez that appeared to wrap around the right-field foul pole. He trotted around the bases and settled in the dugout, but a replay review reversed the decision. It was a foul ball. Goldschmidt returned to the batter\u2019s box and struck out.<\/p>\n
In his career against B\u00e1ez, Goldschmidt, a five-time Silver Slugger Award winner, went 1-for-24 with nine strikeouts.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always think your next at-bat against them is going to be the one that gets it going,\u201d Goldschmidt said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Goldschmidt-Baez2.gif\")
<\/p>\n
\n B\u00e1ez and Goldschmidt face off in Arizona on June 13, 2016.<\/p>\n
At least, said Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, that\u2019s usually the hope.<\/p>\n
\u201cOther times,\u201d Vogt said, \u201cyou\u2019re like, \u2018Come on, I\u2019m facing this guy again?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
For Vogt, a 10-year MLB vet and two-time All-Star, that was Colby Lewis, who posted a 4.70 ERA across parts of 11 seasons in the majors. Lewis held Vogt to two hits in 22 at-bats.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never understood why I couldn\u2019t hit him,\u201d Vogt said. \u201cHe got me every time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steven Kwan, Cleveland\u2019s leadoff hitter, knows that his numbers against Minnesota Twins righty Bailey Ober aren\u2019t pretty.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat, like, 2-for-28?\u201d Kwan guessed.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s actually 3-for-23.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I got a third one?\u201d he said. \u201cHell yeah. It\u2019s just his changeup. He has elite, elite extension and everything comes out the same. His fastball isn\u2019t overpowering, but it looks like the not-very-fast fastball and then it just parachutes on you.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen a guy is dominating you, it\u2019s like, \u2018Ha ha, nightmares.\u2019 But Ober, it\u2019s like, \u2018I don\u2019t even want to think about it.\u2019 I just delude myself and erase my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrew Chafin, a lefty who has bounced around to eight teams, has given Kwan fits, too. Kwan usually runs one of the league\u2019s lowest strikeout rates, but Chafin has struck him out three times in six encounters. It should be four, Kwan contends.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like, \u2018I can\u2019t strike out again.\u2019 I know how many strikeouts (I have against him). He walks me. I\u2019m like, \u2018Oh, that was a close one.\u2019 I go to the video and (the 3-2 pitch) was a strike, but the umpire called it a ball. I\u2019m like, \u2018Oh, my God. They spared me.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Rooker suggested the history between a batter and a pitcher becomes \u201ca thing\u201d after 10 at-bats. His shortcomings against Seattle Mariners righty Logan Gilbert (1-for-18, 11 strikeouts) certainly qualify, though Gilbert has given plenty of hitters trouble.<\/p>\n
\u201cGenerally, I know what he does to get me out,\u201d Rooker said, \u201cand I\u2019m trying to figure it out and combat it, but I haven\u2019t yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nick Pivetta (0-for-8, six strikeouts) and Tanner Houck (0-for-6, five strikeouts) have stymied Rooker, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat adds up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it\u2019s a specific function of the pitcher\u2019s delivery or arsenal that a hitter can\u2019t override. Schwarber noted that Reynaldo Lopez\u2019s \u201cfastball away feels like it takes off. The fastball in feels like it\u2019s a little bit more \u2018cutty.\u2019 Curveball in is really slow.\u201d Schwarber is hitless in 12 at-bats against Lopez, with eight strikeouts.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
\n Schwarber struggles against Lopez on Sept. 21, 2018.<\/p>\n
Rhys Hoskins went 2-for-21 against Mike Foltynewicz in 2018 and \u201919, when Hoskins was piling up homers and doubles with the Philadelphia Phillies. Hoskins described his heater as \u201can invisiball\u201d that he never saw well.<\/p>\n
Eugenio Su\u00e1rez compiled a 1.298 OPS in 54 plate appearances against five-time All-Star left-hander Jon Lester, but he hasn\u2019t yet solved southpaw J.P. Sears.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s crazy,\u201d Su\u00e1rez said. \u201cYou\u2019d never expect JP \u2014 he\u2019s just fastball\/changeup on me, and I\u2019m 0-for-10 with seven strikeouts. He owns me.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the top of the fourth inning on Aug. 4, 2025, Goldschmidt told a Yankees coach: \u201cAll right, we\u2019ll see how well I\u2019m really swinging it,\u201d before explaining his track record with Rangers righty Jon Gray, who was entering in relief.<\/p>\n
Goldschmidt singled in their first duel, but he struck out and grounded out in his next two trips to the plate. In all, Goldschmidt is 3-for-21 with eight strikeouts against Gray, and he\u2019s well aware of it.<\/p>\n
The hitters know the history. Starling Marte recalled how Julio Teheran struck him out three times in one game in 2013. In all, Marte went 5-for-30 against Teheran. When reminded that he went 0-for-9 with four strikeouts against Rubby De La Rosa, Marte replied: \u201cArizona, right? Some pitchers, you feel comfortable against them, but you say, \u2018Damn.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson struggled to combat Tanner Roark\u2019s slider early in his career, which explains his 2-for-20 effort against him. Jhoulys Chac\u00edn (0-for-12) gave him fits for similar reasons. Andre Pallante\u2019s \u201cherky-jerky\u201d delivery (1-for-12) and Eliesier Hernandez\u2019s funky release (1-for-16) have proved troublesome, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see it good,\u201d Swanson said, \u201cit\u2019s just, when I hit it, I hit it foul.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bogaerts notched his 1,000th hit off J.A. Happ, but it was one of only nine in 49 at-bats against the southpaw.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes when you throw very hitable (pitches),\u201d Bogaerts said, \u201cthen you try to maybe do a little too much.\u201d<\/p>\n
He went 2-for-22 against Lance Lynn.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis ball was very sneaky,\u201d Bogaerts said.<\/p>\n
CC Sabathia is a Hall of Famer, but that\u2019s not the version Bogaerts remembers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is CC when he wasn\u2019t (throwing) 99 mph or whatever,\u201d Bogaerts said of the pitcher who held him to seven hits in 39 at-bats. \u201cI probably would\u2019ve had no chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
And then there\u2019s Kyle Gibson.<\/p>\n
\u201cJesus Christ,\u201d said Bogaerts, who went 6-for-27 against Gibson and, as Gibson remembers it, would shake his head in frustration and then flash a smile.<\/p>\n
Gibson recorded a 4.60 ERA across 13 big-league seasons, but he quieted Miguel Cabrera, Robinson Can\u00f3, Salvador P\u00e9rez, Matt Chapman, George Springer, Carlos Correa and other stars.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiant slayer,\u201d Kwan said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Alonso-Gibson.gif\")
<\/p>\n
\n Gibson retires Alonso on April 9, 2019.<\/p>\n
Even the mention of Alonso\u2019s name makes Gibson chuckle. Gibson said he refused to offer Alonso anything juicy over the plate, even if he risked walking him. Hence, the nickname Alonso supplied him.<\/p>\n
Gibson would try to make Alonso think he was using a different approach, but really, he was seeking a two-strike sinker on the outside part of the plate to either strike him out or induce weak contact.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell Pete \u2018The Nibbler\u2019 says hello,\u201d Gibson said, laughing.<\/p>\n
Said Alonso: \u201cVery happy he retired.\u201d<\/p>\n
With contributions from The Athletic\u2019s Dennis Lin, Chad Jennings, Sahadev Sharma, C. Trent Rosecrans, Charlotte Varnes and Brendan Kuty<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Xander Bogaerts\u2019 nemesis stood atop the mound. Not some ace with a living room full of hardware. No,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":647242,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[435],"tags":[49,48,508,491,462,475,477,82,3982],"class_list":["post-647241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-chicago-cubs","tag-cleveland-guardians","tag-mlb","tag-new-york-mets","tag-san-diego-padres","tag-sports","tag-st-louis-cardinals"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/647241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=647241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/647241\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/647242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=647241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=647241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=647241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}