So sad :Strider strikes out six and the offense struggles as the Braves lose to the Rays.

Strider strikes out six and the offense struggles as the Braves lose to the Rays.

 

 

With just four remaining spring training games before the regular season commences, Spencer Strider took the

mound for the Atlanta Braves against the Tampa Bay Rays, boasting an impressive 0.00 ERA and leading the strikeout leaderboard.

Adam Duvall made his spring training debut for his third stint with the Braves,

taking on left field. Despite facing a right-handed starting pitcher (Aaron Civale), and considering Duvall’s expected role

against left-handed pitchers, manager Brian Snitker likely wanted him to get some swings in before the regular season.

Strider started strong in the first inning, retiring the side in order and striking out Jose Siri. However, he faced some difficulty in the second inning, issuing a leadoff walk to Xavier Isaac and

surrendering a single to Francisco Mejía after striking out Jake Mangum. Despite a jam with runners on first and second, Strider managed to strike out Mason Auer to escape unscathed.

 

In the third inning, Strider once again showcased his sharpness, striking out two batters in another three-up-three-down inning. He returned for the fourth

inning and initially cruised, securing two quick outs. However, the Rays mounted a rally, with former Brave Alex Jackson igniting the offense with a single, followed by singles from Mangum and a

double from Mejía, resulting in two runs scored. Nevertheless, Strider closed the inning with another strikeout, maintaining his strong performance on the mound.

Strider’s remarkable scoreless streak concluded after an impressive 22.1

innings. Following what appears to be his final appearance of the spring, Strider’s performance remained notable,

pitching 22.2 innings with a remarkable 0.79 ERA, tallying thirty-five strikeouts against only eight walks, allowing fifteen hits, and conceding zero home runs.

Upon relieving Strider in the fifth inning, Raisel Iglesias maintained his high strikeout rate, striking out the side. However, he did concede a double and a

single, resulting in a run scored. A.J. Minter continued his spring campaign without surrendering an earned run, maintaining his flawless 0.00 ERA despite

allowing a single to Alex Jackson. Minter induced two ground balls, resulting in a double play to conclude the inning.

In his seventh spring appearance, Tyler Matzek faced adversity, ending his

perfect streak in terms of runs allowed in the seventh inning. Mason Auer singled off Matzek, then advanced to third on a

throwing error by Travis d’Arnaud after stealing second base. Auer subsequently scored on a force out, followed by another run driven in by Curtis Mead

after a walk to Shane Sasaki, who then stole second base. Matzek secured the final out with a strikeout.

Dylan Lee and Jackson Stephens closed out the game for the Braves, preventing further damage on the scoreboard, with each pitcher recording a strikeout in their inning of work.

 

On the offensive front, the Braves initially showed promise with Ozzie

Albies launching a one-run home run off Aaron Civale in his first at-bat. However, their offensive momentum stalled thereafter. Cal Conley, who replaced

Arcia at shortstop, added a solo home run off Justin Sterner following defensive substitutions in the seventh inning.

Despite these highlights, the Braves’ offense struggled overall, managing only five hits. The team accumulated ten

strikeouts, with eight of them attributed to the starting lineup. Ozuna narrowly avoided a “golden sombrero” with three

strikeouts, while Duvall went hitless with a strikeout in his spring debut, and Olson also failed to register a hit, striking out twice in three at-bats.

 

Forrest Wall continued his strong spring performance with another hit in his lone at-bat.

 

It’s worth noting that spring training games serve primarily as preparation, and the lack of offensive output shouldn’t raise concerns at this juncture.

 

In the end, the Rays emerged victorious over the Braves with a 5-2 scoreline.

A noteworthy observation is that former Atlanta Braves catcher Alex Jackson had a productive performance, going two for

three in this game. However, despite this improvement, his batting average only increased to .194 and his OPS to .461 after thirty-one at-bats this spring.

Despite these figures, Fangraphs still anticipates that Alex Jackson will secure a spot on the Opening Day roster as the backup catcher for the Rays.

With the Braves’ roster now largely settled barring any unforeseen circumstances, it will be exciting to witness players like Adam Duvall

receiving more opportunities at the plate as they prepare to contribute to what appears to be another potentially formidable Braves offense.

 

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