The 26-year-old right-hander punched out five batters on the evening while issuing three free passes. Mike Yastrzemski was his nemesis in this one, driving in a run with a sacrifice fly in the second inning and plating two more with a double in the fourth inning. Yastrzemski then scored the go-ahead run on an error. Strider got 11 swings and misses on 90 pitches on the day — seven of them on his slider — while posting a CSW of 29 percent. Still in search of his first victory of the season, Strider will bring a disappointing 5.40 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and a 24/11 K/BB ratio (25 innings) into Saturday’s premium matchup against the Rockies.

The right-hander punched out four batters in the contest while issuing a pair of walks. Most of the damage done against him came via the long ball, with Ketel Marte blasting a solo homer in the first inning and a two-run shot in the third while Corbin Carroll added a solo shot of his own in the fifth inning. Strider got 14 swings and misses on 85 pitches on the night — eight of those on his slider — while registering a 26 percent CSW. His velocity remained stable in this one, with his fastball averaging 95.2 mph, though he used it only 46 percent of the time. He’ll hope to improve upon his disappointing 5.68 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 19/8 K/BB ratio (19 innings) when he takes on the Giants in San Francisco on Sunday.

Strider struck out seven, walked four and hit Bryce Harper, knocking him out of the game. The run came in the second after a walk and the one hit, a Max Kepler double. Strider averaged 95.1 mph with his fastball, just a tad less than the 95.4 mph he came in at last time out. Strider dropped to 0-3, but he should certainly keep getting better from here. Unless the Braves add a spot starter at some point, he will make his next start on four days’ rest Sunday against the Red Sox.

Strider, back from a hamstring strain, gave up three runs on four hits in the first and then a solo homer in the second. His velocity was better than in his rehab start, as he averaged 95.4 mph with his fastball and topped out at 97.0 mph. That’s still down about two mph from his 20-win season in 2023, but there’s a good chance he’ll get a little stronger as the year goes along. He’ll face the Padres next.