PHILADELPHIA — Braves pitcher Spencer Strider tried to keep his composure on the mound after drilling Phillies superstar Bryce Harper with a 95 mph fastball in the first inning on Tuesday night. Sure, he wasn’t trying to hit Harper on his surgically repaired right elbow, and he definitely wasn’t trying to knock the left-handed hitter out of the game.
But even after Harper left the field with a trainer and manager Rob Thomson by his side, Strider wouldn’t allow himself to be shaken. A start can go south much too quickly.
“No disrespect to him or the other person, but you kind of have to stay focused on what you’re trying to do in the moment,” Strider said. “It’s easy to unravel. Of course, I’m not a complete sociopath, so I have some empathy. I do feel bad for him, to see a person in pain that I caused. But I’ve still got a job to do.”
Locking back in on his work, Strider allowed one run in 4 2/3 innings and struck out seven in a 2-0 loss to the Phillies in the opener of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. And once the competition was over, he was “relieved” to hear that Harper only suffered a contusion. The Phillies announced that X-rays were negative for the first baseman.
“That’s great news,” Strider said. “Certainly not trying to hit him. In the moment, I just assumed he had a guard on and was just pissed that I hit him. Then I saw him in pain, and that was tough.”
Strider has a great deal of respect for Harper, a two-time National League MVP. While the two are division rivals, the pitcher is happy to face an opponent of Harper’s caliber.
“He’s one of the best players this century,” Strider said. “He needs to be on the field. It’s best for the game, and it’s good for us. It’s good to compete against him.”
In his second start off the injured list after dealing with a hamstring strain and only his third start of the season after tearing his UCL last year, Strider was pretty impressive. He allowed an RBI double to Max Kepler in the second inning, but avoided damage otherwise. He threw 90 pitches, one of which got away from him and went too far in on Harper.
“I’m sure that’s the last thing he wanted to do, and I’m sure he hated that that happened,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “But he gave up one run in four-plus, so we had chances.”
As Ranger Suárez and the Phillies shut out the Braves, the announced Philadelphia crowd of 40,627 let Strider hear it. The fans booed him during player introductions. They really booed him when he plunked Harper. They booed him after the first inning ended and plenty more after that.
Strider is no stranger to this treatment. Between the regular season and postseason, he’s pitched at Citizens Bank Park seven times, more than any other ballpark besides Atlanta’s Truist Park. He’s embraced the not-so-friendly welcome.
“I love pitching here. I mean, where else do they chant your name and ask you how your family’s doing? They seem very interested in my well being, and I appreciate that,” Strider joked.
Even if Strider leans into the Enemy No. 1 role, that won’t endear him to Phillies fans, especially not after he hit Harper with a pitch. The fact that it wasn’t intentional probably isn’t changing much about the reception he gets. The Braves ace knows what to expect by now.
“I feel like this is a home ballpark honestly, at this point,” Strider said. “I’ve pitched here so many times, and I enjoy it. It’s nice to see the stadium full and people excited for baseball, anywhere you go. Playing a good team is always great. So it’s a challenge, and that’s what you want.”
