Spencer Strider, Braves bullpen overpower Rockies hitters en route to 19 strikeouts, 4-1 win

Chase Dollander and the Colorado Rockies hope they caught a glimpse into the future Saturday afternoon Spencer Strider carved up Rockies hitters with a dominant performance leading the Atlanta Braves to a - supremacy at Truist Park Strider struck out batters in six shutout innings and only one of the Rockiers four baserunners against him reached second base Even when the Braves went to the bullpen the visitors kept whiffing When Jordan Beck struck out to end the ballgame it was No on the day for Rockies hitters a franchise record for a nine-inning encounter Colorado is now - on the season Strider very much looked like the pitcher who lead the National League in wins and strikeouts in before an elbow injury and Tommy John surgery after two starts a season ago Strider overpowered Colorado hitters with a fastball up to miles per hour and a sharp-biting slider which induced three whiffs from Ryan McMahon in one at-bat There were two spots were Strider got the help he needed to spin this gem Brenton Doyle sent one towards the gap in right-centerfield in the fourth inning with Hunter Goodman on first base but Braves outfield Michael Harris II saved a run with an excellent catch a couple policies from the wall The following inning Rockies rookie shortstop Ryan Ritter took balls four and five on fastballs off the plate but umpire Alan Porter gave Strider both calls for a strikeout Those misses loomed larger when Kyle Farmer followed Ritter with a double to left but Strider struck out Tyler Freeman to end that threat Strider s career-best outing was strikeouts in eight innings against these Rockies at this stadium in Given that this was only his sixth start since returning from surgery the Braves didn t give him a chance to chase that mark Brenton Doyle broke up Atlanta s shutout bid with a two-out single to count Goodman in the ninth Dollander s latest ball of choice is a curve not a slider but the likely for him to make MLB hitters look silly like Strider did is there He punched out Austin Riley with a wicked fastball in under the hands in the third inning and put three straight fastballs by Matt Olson in the fifth The Rockies rookie flamethrower is still learning on the job at this level The biggest hit of the championship a two-run homer from Ronald Acuna Jr was a good pitch fastball up and away on the edge of the zone to percent of major-league hitters Acuna though turned it around and deposited it feet from home plate Related Articles Rockies Journal Frustrated Foursome of veterans looking for light amid historic losing season Rockies bullpen implodes late in - loss to Braves as record slides to - Renck File Rockies owner Dick Monfort owes fans accountability for this mess Rockies walk off Giants on Orlando Arcia s two-run single to avoid winless homestand Rockies collapse late for second straight night against visiting Giants Dollander also struggled with his control at times including right at the start He walked the first two hitters then yielded back-to-back soft singles that gave Atlanta a quick - lead He pitched out trouble on multiple occasions including a double-play to end that threat in the first and rallying from a - count with a runner on third to strike out Harris in the sixth Dollander was also only in trouble in the sixth because he should have held onto the ball after a bouncer in front of the mound glanced off his glove The ensuing rushed throw ended up in the stands and Drake Baldwin ended up at second base Atlanta added a fourth run against Dollander thanks to a two-out McMahon throwing error trying to get Acuna on a soft bouncer to third and a single from Riley Dollander s final line was three earned runs four total in six innings on six hits and three walks He had four strikeouts and ran his fastball up to miles per hour It was the second time in his starts that Dollander completed six innings and his second career quality start He wasn t far off from a really strong outing And he had an up-close look at the type of day that both he and the Rockies hope are coming soon Want more Rockies news Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis