transitive. Baseball. To deliver or serve (the ball, or a type of delivery) to the batter. Also intransitive.

transitive. Baseball. To cause (a ball) to deviate from a straight trajectory by imparting spin when throwing or pitching it. Also intransitive. Cf…

transitive. Baseball. = to put across 1 at phrasal verbs 1. Frequently in to put it over.

transitive. Baseball. Of a pitcher: to yield (hits) only at intervals and so restrict scoring.

transitive. Baseball. Of a relief pitcher: to finish (a game) while preserving a winning position gained by another pitcher. Cf. save, n.2 2b.

transitive. Baseball. To pitch (a ball) directly over home plate. Chiefly as to put it across.

Baseball. Of a pitcher. Cf. walk, n.1 4b. transitive. To give up a walk to (a batter). See sense 9k.

N. Amer. Of a pitcher in baseball: to cause (a batter) to strike out.

transitive. Baseball. To throw or pitch the ball so that it inadvertently hits (a player).

transitive. Of a left-handed pitcher: to reduce (an opposing team) to a specified result; to achieve (a specified result).

U.S. slang. transitive. = fan, v. 8a.

transitive. Baseball. To pitch a ball to (an opposing batter or team) with a sidearm motion. Now somewhat rare.

transitive. Originally and chiefly Baseball. To pitch (a ball) with a sidearm motion. Also in extended use.

transitive. To pitch better than an opposing team or player; to outdo in pitching.

transitive. Baseball. To pitch (a ball) at high speed by or past an opponent. Also in extended use in other sports.

To slacken motion perceptibly; spec. in Cricket (see quots.) and Baseball. Occasionally transitive.

a pitch which is not hit by the batter and cannot be stopped by the catcher, enabling a base-runner to advance; hence as v. transitive, to enable (a…