Braves right hand pitcher Spencer Strider found his groove Monday against the Mets in Monday’s 13-1 win. Strider improved to 7-4 and finished with four strikeouts while allowing three hits and one earned run in five innings pitched.
This was a bounce back game for Strider. Seven days ago against the Mets, Strider allowed four earned runs and six hits in 2 and 2/3 innings. The Braves went on to lose that game 5-2 as the Mets clinched the series 3-1.
This game proposed different challenges for him as he was looking to find his rhythm but also make up for his last start. After having a rain delay in the second inning after allowing one hit, Strider knew he had to finish what he started.
“I definitely felt rusty and the rain delay didn’t help with that very much but I’m glad they let me go back out there so I could eat some innings for the bullpen,” said Strider when asked about tonight’s start compared to his last against the Mets.
Pitching after rain delays is something Strider has not had to do much of in his career. While warming up during the delay, he recalled a moment when pitching at Clemson when he pitched after a rain delay and knew this time had to be special.
“I feel like I haven’t had to deal with rain delays in the game very much in my career,” said Strider. “One time at Clemson I did and came back in and got destroyed. That was definitely in the back of my head. I think it worked out that we were playing the Mets.”