4 Braves clubhouse reactions to Spencer Strider making history
By Kevin Henry
2. What did Brian Snitker say about Spencer Strider’s big night?
Strider had not pitched longer than 6.2 innings in a start this season, so his ability to go eight full innings on Thursday while also being so dominant was a big plus in the eyes of Braves manager Brian Snitker.
“I’m just happy he got to get past the sixth,” Snitker said. “We’ve been kind of careful and not pushing him a lot and, because of that, it felt good to have him go out there for the eighth inning.”
What Strider was able to do on the mound against the Rockies was impressive even for his manager to witness.
“I’m watching some of the replays of the pitches and it’s like, ‘My God,'” Snitker said. “Some of those breaking balls, the depth on them … and he holds his velocity too. It’s pretty impressive.”
Despite Strider being a rookie, Snitker said he didn’t show any signs of being early in his MLB career as he has put together a dominant pitching run as of late to establish himself as the player to beat for the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
“He’s not the kind of guy that appears to me with a lack of experience or when he gets more experience, he’s a pretty steady guy on how he approaches things,” Snitker said. “When you talk to him, he’s focused on what he is doing.
“I don’t get the impression that anything is going to get away from him.”