We love a good listen-to-your-wife story.
Spencer Strider now has one. He used the advice of his wife, Maggie, to break what some considered a two-game slump. Maggie said: “Don’t listen to everybody that tells you something.”
Strider pitched six innings in the Braves’ 4-2 win over the Phillies on Tuesday. He allowed eight hits, but only one earned run, in getting the win. He struck out nine and walked none.
The kid is all right.
Strider considered his previous two starts poor. Even though he was 1-0, he allowed 15 hits and 13 earned runs (including three home runs) in 11 innings. He struck out 15 and walked four in games against the Mets and Tigers.
“I value input – sometimes too much,” Strider said after the win. “I like to feel like I have everything at my disposal, and I can learn from everything that’s around me, and you can get to the paralysis by analysis very quickly.”
For the season, Strider is 8-2 with a 3.93 ERA over his 15 starts. In 84-2/3 innings, he has 136 strikeouts and 30 walks. His strikeout total leads the major leagues, 15 better than Kevin Gausman. His eight wins rank fourth in the National League and tied for sixth in MLB. His .213 opponents batting average ranks fifth in the NL and 10th in MLB.
“Strider’s been fine,” Matt Olson said. “I’m sure the last couple starts haven’t gone the way he wanted, but nobody in here had any doubts about Spencer Strider.”
-AJC Braves beat writer Justin Toscano is in Philadelphia for the remaining two games of the series before heading to Cincinnati for a three-game series. Follow his coverage at ajc.com and our e-Paper.
