Wednesday’s defeat capped off a series in which the Braves were overmatched by a Brewers squad that has been the hottest team in baseball since the start of June. According to The Athletic’s David O’Brien, who took to X (formerly known as Twitter) with the numbers, it was likely the worst start of Strider’s career.
“#Braves’ Strider allowed a career-high 11 hits (previous high 9) and 5 runs in 4 2/3 innings of 5-4 loss to the Brewers, who swept the series and dropped Atlanta to 47-66, fourth-worst record in MLB. Braves are 9 games behind Marlins, who arrive Friday for a 5-game, 4-day series.”
The Braves, now 47-66, sit fourth in the NL East, just two games ahead of the rebuilding Washington Nationals, and have the fourth-worst record in all of Major League Baseball. Atlanta trails the third-place Miami Marlins by nine games in the division, with the New York Mets at 63-52 in second and the Philadelphia Phillies leading the way at 65-49. Strider’s ERA jumped from 3.58 to 4.04 after the loss, adding more pressure to a pitching staff already stretched thin by injuries and inconsistency. Despite recently surpassing Tommy Hanson on the franchise’s all-time strikeout list, Strider’s latest struggles mirror the larger issues facing the team.
Fan sentiment has taken a sharp downturn as calls for accountability grow louder. Many have voiced frustration with the lack of results and have called for manager Brian Snitker to promote more young talent. There is also growing concern about Strider’s recovery from surgery, his drop in velocity, and the overall decline in Braves pitching this season.
The Braves’ recent 9-21 skid over their last 30 games stands in stark contrast to the red-hot Brewers, who are 23-7 in that span and own the best record in baseball since the beginning of June. With Atlanta heading into a critical five-game home-stand against the third place Marlins, the pressure is on to show signs of life—or risk sliding even further out of contention.
As the Brewers sweep fades in the rearview, the club must regroup quickly. The upcoming series could determine the direction of the rest of the season and the fate of a Braves roster now facing tough questions about its pitching, leadership, and future.
