After "getting pissed off" with how his curveball was working, Blue Jays starter Tanner Roark made a grip adjustment in a bullpen last week. He moved his fingers back on the ball which helps him catch more seam as he throws, sharpening the pitch.

He had it working last night:

Roark threw it 12 times, five for called strikes. Used it first-pitch, ahead in the count, and behind in the count. Unpredictability is key.

He wants to tunnel it off his fastball and vice versa. Here, he throws it first-pitch to Eric Thames then come back with a fastball:

Similar thing here to Yan Gomes. Drops it in 1-1, then follows with an elevated fastball to get swing-and-miss with a 91-mph pitch.

Roark says the grip adjustment didn't only "throw a little nasty" on the curveball, but helped make it look similar to his fastball out of the hand

Here it is backwards — Roark gets first-pitch strike w\\ fastball then tunnels curveball in the same spot. Nice job by Howie Kendrick to lay off.

Roark: "These guys know a lot about me. So, I'm just keeping them off balance and keeping them — honestly — guessing the whole time."