Braves on brink of elimination, but Spencer Strider has what it takes to save their season

PHILADELPHIA – Spencer Strider says that a challenge like Thursday night's National League Division Series Game 4 is the stuff of front-yard dreams.

Yet it's fair to assume that those visions did not include a juiced-up crowd preceding Strider's name with four-letter invectives, with mocking chants even 24 hours before he was supposed to pitch, and with full-throated, ceaseless roars that fire up the home crowd, unsettle the visitors and maybe influence an umpire's call or two.

That's playoff reality these days at Citizens Bank Park, where the Philadelphia Phillies can eliminate the 104-win Braves in the NLDS and move on to an NL Championship Series against the upstart Arizona Diamondbacks.

Nobody wants to be pitching to save the season. But to a large degree, Strider says, bring it on.

"When I was a kid, I was out in the front yard just pretending I was pitching in the World Series. I think that's kind of what a lot of kids' journey is like," says Strider. "Nobody wants to come into the game in a regular season game in June. You're always preparing or visualizing yourself in the biggest games in the biggest moments.

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"That's what you visualize your whole life is the opportunity to go out and pitch in a game like this and to play in a game like this."

And if it has to be somebody staring down elimination, there's few in baseball who wouldn't opt for Strider.

The man struck out 281 batters to easily lead the major leagues, and also led the bigs with 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings and 20 wins. Simply, Strider keeps the ball out of play, and watching just a few minutes of postseason baseball drives this value home even more.

It doesn't hurt when your ace also isn't likely to run from the assignment.

"I think he'll relish it," says Braves manager Brian Snitker. "I think he was very excited to get that opening start in the playoff round, and I think he'll be very excited and prepared and ready for the start tomorrow, too."

Strider pitched well in Game 1 of this NLDS, holding the Phillies to one earned run (a Bryce Harper home run, of course) in seven innings. But a de facto Phillies bullpen game bested him, with starter Ranger Suárez recording just 11 outs before a half-dozen relievers teamed up to complete the shutout.

It's unlikely the sextet can replicate that performance, although Wednesday's 10-2 win in Game 3 means manager Rob Thomson was able to rest three of them — lefty Jose Alvarado and right-handers Jeff Hoffman and Craig Kimbrel.

The piggyback will take on the punchout artist. And the latter has no choice but win and send the series back to Atlanta for a Game 5 Saturday.

Even in an unfriendly environment.

"Even if you're not on the supported team, you know, you got phenomenal fans here that are very passionate, and that's great for baseball," says Strider. "It's a good postseason environment, to say the least.

"And I think if you can figure out how to kind of focus on the right things, it's good energy for you."