Spencer Strider allowed five hits and three runs with two walks and three strikeouts across five innings to earn the win in a 6-3 victory over the Pirates on Saturday.

It wasn’t pretty, but Strider got the job done. There were not many clean innings as the command of his secondaries were not sharp. That’s a problem because Strider’s fastball remains an issue. Without the elite velocity or shape of yesteryear, that fastball doesn’t miss many bats anymore and forced a grand total of zero swings-and-misses in this one. He’s gotten by with his slider plus curveball and changeup especially against left-handed batters – and the Pirates’ lineup was nearly all lefties in this one – they just weren’t as sharp here. Strider will take a 4.00 ERA, 43 strikeouts, and 19 walks over 36 innings pitched into his next scheduled start against the Mets on the road.