Verb
dust off a batter (third-person singular simple present dusts off a batter, present participle dusting off a batter, simple past and past participle dusted off a batter)
(idiomatic, baseball) for a pitcher to throw a pitch at or near the batter, typically to frighten the batter or to have him stand farther away from home plate.
That pitcher doesn't like the hitters too close to the plate so every once in a while he'll dust off a batter.