Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider had some words for Juan Soto after striking out the New York Mets slugger on Tuesday night.
Strider struck out Soto in the bottom of the fifth inning of the Braves’ 7-4 win over the Mets at Citi Field in Queens, N.Y. Home plate umpire Adam Hamari ruled that the 3-2 fastball caught the inside corner, and Soto did not agree.
Soto took a step toward first base before quickly realizing he had been called out on strikes. When Soto began complaining to the umpire, Strider could be heard telling Soto the pitch was “right down the middle.”
Spencer Strider tells Juan Soto "it's right down the middle" after striking him out pic.twitter.com/WTUTNG0x5Y
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 25, 2025
The pitch was not right down the middle, which is why it was so effective. It caught the lower inside corner and was close to missing the zone, but it appeared Hamari made the right call.
Strider walked Soto twice before striking him out, so he may have been satisfied with the result after the Mets star took so many pitches in the three at-bats.
Strider got the win to improve to 3-5 on the season. He now has a 4.07 ERA after battling some unusual injury trouble earlier in the year.
