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In baseball, pitching is a duel between the pitcher and the batter. The pitcher stands on a mound and throws the ball towards home plate, where the batter attempts to hit it. The pitcher's goal is to prevent the batter from hitting the ball effectively, aiming for a "strike zone" or inducing weak hits that result in outs.

Pitchers employ various types of pitches, including fastballs, change-ups (slower pitches), curveballs (which swerve), sliders (a mix of fastball speed and curveball break), and knuckleballs (which wobble unpredictably). The pitcher and catcher together are known as the "battery," with the catcher advising the pitcher and managing the game from behind the plate.12

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