Spencer Strider is back to pitching for the Atlanta Braves, and he’s already fired up. In an intense matchup between the Mets and Strider, he put up a strong performance, but he also hit the headlines for his bold message to Juan Soto. The Braves and Mets are fighting for a Wild Card spot in the NL East, with the Phillies dominating the division.
The Braves rallied to a 7-4 victory, with Strider pitching five innings, allowing three runs on two hits, and walking three. The highlight of his performance was his eight crucial strikeouts, including Juan Soto.
During the bottom of the fifth inning, Juan Soto stepped up to the plate with two outs and no runners on base. The slugger was walked in his previous two at-bats. Spencer Strider faced Soto with a full count. He threw a 96-mph fastball that grazed the bottom left corner of the strike zone.
Soto visibly disagreed with the call by home plate umpire Adam Hamari and expressed his frustration on the field. The Braves pitcher immediately reacted by saying, “It’s right down the middle.“
Spencer Strider tells Juan Soto "it's right down the middle" after striking him out pic.twitter.com/WTUTNG0x5Y
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 25, 2025
The Braves pitcher repeated his words not once or twice, but three times to the Mets star, forcing him to walk away.
Spence Strider Strengthens The Atlanta Braves’ Playoff Chances
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Strider is a fan favorite, and he has significant experience pitching in the playoffs. The All-Star has helped the team in multiple crucial games, and now that he’s back, the Braves are stronger than expected.
Their biggest challenge is making it past the Mets or the Phillies. Ronald Acuna Jr. is back in the playoffs as well, and things are just getting better. Yet, they have a long way to go as they are 9.5 games behind the Phillies at the top.
Atlanta is still four games behind the .500 mark. Spencer Strider has improved his record to 3-5, and he holds a 4.07 ERA. He has 53 strikeouts in 42 innings pitched. At present, the Braves are ranked No. 23 in the week 13 MLB power rankings.
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