Rookie Spencer Strider pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings to earn his first win as a starting pitcher and helped the Atlanta Braves extend their winning streak to nine games with a 4-2 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.
The hard-throwing right-hander recorded his longest stint since joining the rotation and allowed four hits, one walk and matched a career high with eight strikeouts. It was his first start at home.
Strider (2-2) left with two outs and runners on the corners in the sixth inning. Left-hander Dylan Lee struck out Cal Mitchell to end the threat.
Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his 17th save.
Atlanta’s winning streak is the longest by a National League team this year. The Braves’ last nine-game winning streak came Aug. 13-22, 2021. The Braves have outscored the opposition 59-23 during that streak. Atlanta has won 13 of its last 17.
Pittsburgh has lost four straight games.
The losing pitcher was rookie Roansy Contreras (1-1), who pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed four runs on eight hits, one walk and seven strikeouts.
Atlanta scored first when Dansby Swanson hit a two-run homer with two outs in the third inning. The blast stayed just inside the foul pole in left and was his seventh of the season. It scored Michael Harris II, who singled and stole second base. Swanson went 3-for-4 and raised his average to .286.
The Braves added a run in the fourth when Ozzie Albies swatted his 15th double to right field to score Travis d’Arnaud.
Atlanta went ahead 4-0 with a run in the fifth. Matt Olson drove in Harris with a sharp single to right field that barely missed base-runner Swanson.
Pittsburgh broke up the shutout with two runs in the eighth against reliever Jackson Stephens. Michael Chavis drove in the first run with a ground-rule double, and Mitchell tacked on another with a sacrifice fly to right field.
Pittsburgh’s Jack Suwinski, who pinch hit in the seventh and remained in the game, had his eight-game hitting streak end when he fanned against Jansen to end the game.
–Field Level Media
