PHILADELPHIA — As rookie Spencer Strider took the mound for the first time in almost a month, the Atlanta Braves mapped out a “best-case scenario” for their young fireballer.
This wasn’t it.
After mowing down the Philadelphia Phillies early in Friday’s Game 3 of their National League Division Series, a four-pitch walk to lead off the third inning and a subsequent wild pickoff throw seemed to change everything for Strider.
Pretty soon, he was back on bench, shaking his head in a shaking Citizens Bank Park moments after Rhys Hoskins hammered a three-run homer into the left-field seats.
“I was going to pitch until they took the ball away and try to put up zeroes,” Strider said. “It’s very frustrating.”