Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider can add his name to the team’s record books when he takes the mound on Saturday night against the visiting Washington Nationals.
Strider (19-5, 3.81 ERA) needs three strikeouts to break the Braves’ modern-era, single-season strikeout record of 276 set by John Smoltz in 1996. Strider has won eight of his past 10 starts.
Washington (70-90) opened the season-ending, three-game series vs. Atlanta with a 10-6 victory on Friday. The Nationals tied their season high with five homers in the win.
Strider will look to close the regular season on a high note for Atlanta (103-57), which has clinched the National League East and home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
Strider, 24, allowed four runs over 5 2/3 innings in an 8-5 win against the Nationals last Sunday.
“We executed some pitches and they hit them, and we didn’t execute some pitches and they hit them,” Strider said. “I wasn’t very good. I need to be better, and I have one more start to tune it up.”
Luis Garcia is 4-for-10 (.400) with two homers against Strider, who is 3-1 with a 4.38 ERA in five career games (four starts) vs. Washington.
After finishing with a 55-107 record last season, the Nationals took a moment to recognize their 70th win on Friday.
“Every win is important, but to get to 70 when honestly … when we started the season, we didn’t know to expect,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “It feels good. We’ve got two more games. I’m hoping to get 71 tomorrow.”
Right-hander Joan Adon (2-4, 6.42 ERA) will look to snap a three-start losing streak when he takes the mound for the Nationals on Saturday. He has allowed a total of 13 runs in his past three starts covering 13 2/3 innings.
Adon will face Atlanta for the second straight start after giving up four runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings last Sunday.
In addition to Strider, the Braves have two other players closing in on career milestones. Ronald Acuna Jr. leads the majors with 72 steals, which matches the franchise record in the modern era (since 1900) set by Otis Nixon in 1991.
Braves third baseman Austin Riley has 37 homers, one shy of his career high set last year.
“It’s been a really fun thing for me to watch his growth and development as he’s made himself one of the premier players in baseball,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Riley.
Washington has received a spark this month from first baseman Dominic Smith, who has hit six of his career-high 12 homers in September, including a two-run blast on Friday.
“This is something that I’ve been searching for all year,” Smith said. “It’s something I know I can do. It’s later in the year. I wish it happened earlier in the year. I wish it happened in April. But the fact that I figured some things out, I feel good up there. I feel like I’m myself. … I’m happy that I got back to that, and I just look forward to building on that and not forgetting that during the offseason.”
–Field Level Media