Let’s talk about Spencer Strider and his strikeouts.
It will help ease the pain – a little – as the Braves have lost seven of their last 10 games. They have also lost four of their last five series since the all-star break.
However …
Strider struck out 10 in his 6-1/3 innings of Wednesday’s 5-3 loss to the Red Sox. He has double-digit strikeouts in his last four outings – 11 against the Rays, 10 against the White Sox and 13 against the Diamondbacks. He is the only pitcher in franchise history with at least 10 strikeouts in four straight starts. He was tied with John Smoltz (1996) with three straight 10-plus strikeout games.
Strider joins the Padres’ Blake Snell as the only pitcher with four straight double-digit strikeout games this season.
Strider is on pace for a 300-plus strikeout season. That would easily best the Braves’ modern era strikeout record of 276, belonging to Smoltz in that 1996 season. Strider leads the majors with 199 strikeouts (in 123 innings), 37 more than the next pitcher, the Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman.
This season, Strider has nine double-digit strikeout games (and 15 for his career). In addition, he has struck out nine batters seven times this season. That’s nine or more strikeouts in 16 of his 21 starts.
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