Braves' Spencer Strider: Sets team record with 16 strikeouts

Strider (9-4) earned the win over Colorado on Thursday, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out 16 batters over eight scoreless innings.

Strider overpowered the Rockies in his most impressive performance as a big leaguer, racking up 22 swinging strikes among his 106 pitches. The strikeout total established a new franchise record in a nine-inning game, surpassing the 15 K's recorded by John Smoltz in both 1992 and 2005 and Warren Spahn in 1960. Strider has posted five double-digit strikeout performances across 17 starts this season and ranks ninth in the league with 176 punchouts despite hurling only 114.2 innings. As icing on the cake, he appears to be getting stronger as the season winds down -- over his past four starts, the rookie right-hander has gone 3-0 while registering a 1.08 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 36:4 K:BB over 25 frames.