The Atlanta Braves went down in the National League Division Series for a second straight year, once again at the hands of the same foe: the Philadelphia Phillies.
Spencer Strider made two starts for Atlanta, and the team lost both despite the right-hander pitching well in both.
In Game 1, he pitched seven innings with just two runs (one earned) allowed and eight strikeouts.
He wasn’t as sharp in the second one, in Thursday’s Game 4 (5.2 innings, three runs, seven punchouts), but the truth is that the Braves’ record-breaking offense couldn’t back him up in any of his starts.
Just like that, after four postseason games and just one victory, the Braves say goodbye to the 2023 season.
They had won 104 games in the regular season, but teams that can’t win in October will go home early to watch the teams that can actually perform.
Strider talked about the disappointment of falling to the Phillies and having to start over next year.
“‘I can tell you this, we’re going to give everything we have over the next year to getting back to this position and making sure we don’t have it happen this way again.’ Spencer Strider talks on what went wrong for the #Braves in the NLDS,” Braves reporter Victor Prieto tweeted.
“I can tell you this, we’re going to give everything we have over the next year to getting back to this position and making sure we don’t have it happen this way again”
Spencer Strider talks on what went wrong for the #Braves in the NLDS: pic.twitter.com/EmGnQ9DJU8
— Victor Prieto (@victorprieto_11) October 13, 2023
Strider, who had 281 strikeouts and a 3.86 ERA in the regular season, pitched to a 2.84 ERA in October.
It wasn’t enough for Atlanta because their bats were stymied by Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez, and a really solid Phillies bullpen.
There is always next year for Atlanta, and they have a young, talented core, but people were getting excited about this team given the level they showed in the regular season.
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