herky-jerky delivery

先日のカンザスシティ・ロイヤルズ戦で, マリナーズの岩隈久志投手は自己最多となる９勝を果たしました。メンバーの強力な投球と予期せぬ幸運が, チームを勝利へ導いたようです。

Iwakuma puts on Royal performance

The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Seattle has struggled to win on the road over the last month, losing 10 straight capped by a ninth-inning meltdown in the Mariners’ series-opener against the Kansas City Royals.

Some strong pitching and a bit of fortune helped them break their long road skid Friday night.

中略

Iwakuma (9-6) allowed one run, five hits and three walks over 6⅔ innings, striking out six. He kept the Royals off balance with his usual herky-jerky delivery, the only run he allowed coming on Cheslor Cuthbert’s base hit in the fourth inning.

“Overall I was able to make good pitches, location-wise, and execute when I needed to, change speeds, go back and forth,” Iwakuma said through an interpreter. “Especially with the breaking ball, I was able to go from strike to ball and they were chasing those pitches and it made it very helpful from my end.”

以下省略

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003068059

本日取り上げる表現は “herky-jerky” です。

『リーダーズ英和中辞典』(研究社)で調べると, 「<口>急に動く, 不規則な動きをする, ぎこちない」とありました。Merriam-Webster.com には “not smooth or graceful: marked by sudden movement or changes” と定義されています。

あとに続く “delivery” は「[球技]投擲」という意味をもつことから, “herky-jerky deliver” で独自の「タイミングを外す投球術」を示していると思われます。一時は得点を奪われながらも, 岩隈投手は安定した投球を保つことができたようです。(Cayu)