The Atlanta Braves will turn to Spencer Strider in hopes of a Game 5. Last night was not ideal for the Baves as the Philadelphia Phillies went off for a postseason franchise-record six home runs and a dominant start by right-hander Aaron Nola. It was just three days after the Meltdown the Phillies applied a beatdown.
Braves Spencer Strider Needs A Good Outing
Again and Again and …
While the Braves hit 307 regular-season home runs to set a single-season National League home run record and equal the MLB record, the Phillies exhibited their long-ball prowess in staking a 2-1 game lead in the NLCS. Nick Castellanos started the onslaught with a solo shot in the third. Bryce Harper added a towering three-run homer later in the inning and hit his second of the game two innings later.
Trea Turner added a solo home run in the sixth. Castellanos and Brandon Marsh went back-to-back in the eighth to cap a record-setting effort. The six homers matched the most by any team in MLB postseason history, tying the Cubs’ six dingers against the Cardinals in the 2015 NLDS.
Mound of Trouble
Game 3 starter Bryce Elder was cruising for the Braves through the first two innings. He had four strikeouts and gave up no hard contact. His 1-0 lead dissipated as the long ball arrived for the Phillies, who plated six runs in the third inning. Meanwhile, Nola went 5 2/3 innings, allowed two runs, and struck out nine for his career high in the postseason. He was one strikeout away from equaling some elite Phillies pitchers with ten strikeouts in a postseason game. Zack Wheeler in Game 2 of this series, Cliff Lee twice in 2009, Curt Schilling in 1993, and Steve Carlton in 1980.
Check the Calendar
Is it October 2023 or October 2022? There seems to be little difference for the Braves right now. A 100-plus-wins and offensive record-breaking Braves season is on the brink. Last year, the Phillies split the first two in Atlanta, won in a Game 3 rout with Nola on the mound, and won in four games.
The Braves have put up a .196 team batting average this series through three games. League scourges from the regular season Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Marcell Ozuna, and Ozzie Albies have one extra-base hit combined. Their .268 slugging percentage is almost half of their record-setting .501 statistic.
Game 4
The Braves will turn to 20-game winner and current pitching staff ace Spencer Strider in Game 4 in hopes of winning and returning the series to Atlanta for a Game 5. Strider limited the Phillies to two runs (one earned) over seven innings in Atlanta’s Game 1 loss. Now, he has a chance to extend his success against Philadelphia. In regular season games against the Phillies, Strider is 8-0 with a 1.90 ERA and a .151 opposing batting average.
However, Strider was roughed up against the Phillies in both postseason starts. The Phillies will again send lefty Ranger Suárez to the mound. He allowed one hit and one walk in 3 2/3 scoreless innings against the Braves in Game 1. Still, he was lifted in the fourth inning as part of Philadelphia’s bullpen approach, which proved effective in a 3-0 win.
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