Strider finally breaks into the win column with dominant outing
On a Saturday afternoon at Truist Park, the Atlanta Braves continued their recent upswing with a 4-1 win over the struggling Colorado Rockies. With the victory, Atlanta clinched the series and picked up their third win in a row, moving to 31-38 on the season. But the biggest story of the day? Spencer Strider. After a tough and winless start to the season, Strider was electric, tallying 13 strikeouts over six scoreless innings to finally earn his first win of 2025.
The Rockies, now 13-57, just couldn’t solve Strider’s fastball-slider combination and fell behind early. First-round rookie Chase Dollander, the 9th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Tennessee, was making the start for Colorado and got a rude welcome from Atlanta’s offense early.
Quick Strike from the Braves
Atlanta wasted no time getting on the board. In the bottom of the first, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Alex Verdugo drew back-to-back walks, setting the stage for Austin Riley and Matt Olson. Riley singled to center, and Olson followed with a sharp RBI single to left to make it 1-0. The Braves threatened to add more, but a Marcell Ozuna strikeout and a double-play grounder from rookie catcher Drake Baldwin ended the rally.
Acuña Jr. Adds Insurance
After Strider struck out the side in the second, Atlanta padded the lead. With two outs, Nick Allen singled to right, setting up Acuña Jr. for the big swing of the game — a 410-foot two-run homer to left that extended the Braves’ lead to 3-0. It was Acuña’s 7th homer of the season and a no-doubter off the bat, igniting the home crowd and giving the Braves breathing room.
Strider Dominates
Strider’s outing was vintage. The right-hander struck out at least one batter in every inning he pitched and had multiple strikeouts in five of the six frames. The Rockies mustered just three hits and a walk against him. His final line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 13 K. After weeks of frustration, the fiery righty looked like his old self again — and the Braves needed every bit of it.
Small Ball, Big Results
The Braves didn’t blow the doors off offensively after Acuña’s homer, but they kept grinding. In the fifth, Acuña reached again, this time on a throwing error by the Rockies’ third baseman and advanced to second. After a Verdugo groundout, Riley delivered a clutch RBI single to right, pushing the lead to 4-0.
It was a small ball kind of day — timely hits and capitalizing on defensive miscues, something the Braves have struggled with at times this season.
Bullpen Seals It, With a Blemish
Rafael Montero took over in the seventh and struck out the side, handing it off to Dylan Lee for the ninth. Lee ran into a bit of trouble after an error by Austin Riley at third base extended the inning. Brenton Doyle drove in a run with a single to center, breaking the shutout. But Lee locked it down with a strikeout to secure the 4-1 win.
The run was unearned, so the Braves’ pitching staff combined for nine innings of one-run (none earned) baseball, striking out 19 Colorado hitters in total.
Game Notes and Takeaways
- Spencer Strider’s first win of the year: finally good to see Strider back to his old self and claim his first win of the season.
- Ronald Acuña Jr. stays hot: A walk, a two-run homer, and three runs scored. He continues to show flashes of his MVP-level impact after coming off injury.
- Austin Riley delivers: Two key hits and an RBI on the day, including the final insurance run in the fifth inning.
- Rockies’ defense struggles: Two errors contributed directly to Braves runs, a theme in their rough 2025 season.
- Chase Dollander’s potential is real: Despite the loss, he showed flashes of why he was a top-10 draft pick — but facing this Braves lineup is no small task for a young arm.
Looking Ahead
The Braves and Rockies will wrap up the three-game set tomorrow afternoon at 1:35 PM back at Truist Park. Veteran lefty Chris Sale (4-4) will take the mound for Atlanta, facing off against Colorado’s Austin Gomber (0-0). A win would give the Braves a much-needed sweep and push their momentum further after an up-and-down start to the year.
Catch the game on FanDuel Sports Network South/Southeast or listen locally on 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan.
Final Thoughts
This game felt like a turning point — not just for Strider, but for a Braves team trying to claw its way back to .500. Pitching dominance, clean defense (aside from the one late error), and just enough offense got the job done. If Spencer Strider is indeed back to being the ace Atlanta needs, things may start trending up in a hurry for the Braves.
