Braves Pitcher Spencer Strider Looks to Shut Down Astros Next

Former Clemson pitcher falls behind teammate Michael Harris II in NL Rookie of the Year odds, but Spencer Strider can continue his solid season against the Astros on Saturday.

© Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Spencer Strider was a big reason why the Atlanta Braves won three games in a four-contest series against the rival New York Mets earlier this week. 

The former Clemson pitcher allowed one run on three hits through five innings and a rain delay in a 13-1 victory. He also shut down a Mets team that he thought got "lucky" against him in the previous outing against the team leading the NL East Division. 

Now, one of the leaders for Rookie of the Year faces another powerful offense. The Houston Astros, who lead the AL West by 10.5 games and have scored the seventh-most runs in MLB, look to hit Strider in Game 2 of the series at 7:15 p.m. Saturday. 

"We were excited to play them again for sure, but this thing is a long way from over. You kind of have to take it one day at a time."

Spencer Strider discusses his five excellent innings against the Mets in the series opener ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/EZW55CXNz1

— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) August 16, 2022

The Astros scored 21 runs on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox, but the Braves and starting pitcher Kyle Wright held them to just a pair of runs in a 6-2 victory Friday. Atlanta's won 10 of its last 11 games. 

On the season, Strider has a 7-4 record with a 3.04 earned run average in 25 appearances (14 starts). His 142 strikeouts rank among the top 15 in all of MLB, and he's one of four Braves pitchers to rank in the top 30. 

He's been the odds-on favorite to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, for several weeks, but teammate and Braves outfielder Michael Harris II recently took that top spot from Strider, who is now listed second at -105 to win the honor.

Strider was a fourth-round draft pick by the Braves after a short career at Clemson. He had Tommy John surgery following his freshman season and pitched only a handful of times his last year with the program because COVID-19 shut the season down early.

But Strider made quick strides in Atlanta, earning a call-up late last September, and he's found a role in the bullpen to start the year. Now, he's one of the elite rookie starting pitchers in Major League Baseball.

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