Multi-GIF Situation: Praiseworthy Brazilian Changeup

Brazil beat Colombia in World Baseball Classic qualifying on Saturday (box) — giving the Brazilians (a) two total wins in the Qualifier 3 bracket and (b) two more wins than a reasonable person would have expected them to get in the Qualifier 3 bracket.

Notable from their Saturday victory was the relief performance of 24-year-old right-hander Gabriel Asakura, who struck out five of the 10 Colombian batters he faced — including longtime major-leaguer Edgar Renteria. Asakura himself is less of a longtime major leaguer and more of a recent senior at Division II school Cal State L.A.

Here’s Asakura getting a swinging strike on what appears to be his changeup (or maybe a splitter) against Cleveland prospect Giovanny Urshela:

And here, inducing a whiff from one-time major-leaguer Jolbert Cabrera:

And here, a third one, from Kansas City middle-infield prospect Luis Piterson: