On Monday's The Big Bang Theory, The First Pitch Insufficiency, Howard practices his baseball skills on a video game after NASA asks him to throw out the first pitch at a Los Angeles Angels game. He has trouble with Raj continuously heckling him. In the meantime, Amy and Sheldon are having a number of date nights, since as per the relationship agreement, Sheldon has to make up all the dates he missed while away.
Penny and Leonard join Amy and Sheldon for date night. Sheldon mentions that he and Amy have a superior relationship. He goes on to give the relationship hierarchy, putting Penny and Leonard at the bottom. The couples debate as to who is better. Leonard thinks it is silly that Sheldon compares relationships. Sheldon thinks it is perfectly plausible. Sheldon shows Leonard a test that was developed called the relationship closeness inventory that is based on a couple’s behavior. Sheldon and Amy scored a relationship stability score of 8.2. Leonard says he and Penny will take the test, but Penny gets upset and leaves the table. When Leonard goes to comfort Penny, she reveals that she is scared that they have nothing in common. Leonard says he is scared of that, too.
After joining Amy and Sheldon back at the table, Leonard defends their relationship some more, and Sheldon pushes that they take the test. Penny agrees, but Leonard stops her. He tells her that even though they are both scared, and that the fear doesn’t deter him from the commitment, it just makes him want to hold her hand and enter marriage together. Amy tells Sheldon that she wishes he said things like that to her, to which he responds that they got an 8.2.
In tonight’s sub story, Howard learns that throwing a baseball doesn’t come easy for him. Bernadette has to massage his arm after he injured himself throwing the imaginary pitches in Leonard and Sheldon’s living room. Bernadette offers to help Howard since she used to play softball. She also suggests that he should also “butch up his run.” She then imitates his running style, making fun of him behind his back.
At a gym, Bernadette helps Howard measure out 60 feet to simulate the distance from the mound to the plate. Howard is shocked at how far away it is. Howard winds up in a strange and long-winded fashion, making Bernadette yell at him to throw the ball, as he was taking too long. Howard tries to throw the ball continuously but gets nowhere near Bernadette, the catcher, most of the pitches not even reaching her.
When Howard is announced to throw the first pitch, he addresses the crowd and tells them that he isn’t an athlete, he is a scientist and that he will allow science, aka the Mars Rover, throw the first pitch. The Rover however, moves in a snail like pace towards home. The crowd starts booing as the Rover inches to the plate.