The Atlanta Braves will face the Philadelphia Phillies in Game One of the NLDS on Saturday. Atlanta will send Spencer Strider to the mound to start Game One. Strider is racked up a franchise record 281 strikeouts on the season.

Spencer Strider Owned the Phillies in 2023

Good news for Braves’ fans, 38 of those strikeouts came against the Phillies. Strider made four starts against the Phillies during the regular season, more than any other team. This could be a good thing or a bad thing. They say the more a hitter sees a pitcher, the better he gets. However, sometimes pitchers just dominate the opposition.

This season, dominate is what Strider did against Philadelphia. Strider went 4-0 in his four starts with a 2.42 ERA. In 26 innings he allowed seven hits, three walks, and struck out 13.2 batters per nine innings.

Braves Rotation Issues Beyond Spencer Strider

The Braves need Strider to overpower the Phillies’ lineup one more time in the first game with the uncertainty surrounding the rest of the pitching staff in the NLDS.

Max Fried SHOULD start Game 2 but we need confirmation that his blister has healed. Although, he did pitch five innings and 76 pitches in an intrasquad game on Tuesday.

Bryce Elder has struggled in the second half. The Braves opted to give him the day off on the final day of the season, rather than work his scheduled start. Elder has set a new career high for innings pitched and allowed 13 earned runs over his final three starts. With Morton on the IL for the NLDS, there aren’t a lot of options.

We don’t know if Kyle Wright is ready to contribute yet, either.

The Braves need Strider. Luckily, he has the Phillies’ number. Tune in to TBS this Saturday at 6:07 EST.