Spencer Strider Trolls Phillies Fans After Hitting Bryce Harper with Nasty Pitch

Tuesday's contest between the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves generated another entry into the long-running drama between the Phillies, their fans and Braves pitcher Spencer Strider.

In the bottom of the first inning, with two outs and an 0-1 count, Strider ran a 95.3 mile per hour four-seam fastball in on Harper, striking the Philadelphia slugger in the elbow.

Phillies fans held their breath as Harper left the game, but fortunately, x-rays came back negative, a great sign considering that it was the same elbow Harper had repaired with surgery after the 2022 season.

Philadelphia went on to earn a 2-0 win, as Ranger Suarez continued his dominance of the Braves with six shutout innings.

Suarez was able to outduel Strider, who pitched well, but took the loss after allowing one run in 4.2 innings of seven-strikeout ball.

Spencer Strider Trolls Phillies Fans with Postgame Remarks

The win served as another chapter in the rivalry between the Phillies and Strider, who took the opportunity in his postgame media availability to

The Athletic's Jayson Stark asked the right-handed Clemson alum about his experience pitching at Citizens Bank Park and the particularly raucous nature of Tuesday night's crowd.

"I love pitching here," Strider told Stark. "I mean, where else do they chant your name? Ask how your family's doing? They seem very interested in my well being, and I appreciate that."

As the Phillies and Braves have spent the duration of Strider's career jousting for positioning in the National League East division and meeting up in the postseason, the quick-witted Strider has grown into the sort of rival that Phillies faithful love to hate.

To his credit, Strider has gotten the better of Philadelphia his fair share of times. In nine career regular season appearances, Strider owns a 2.15 ERA and has struck out 82 Phillies in 54.1 innings of work.

But the Phillies got to Strider when it mattered the most.

Philadelphia's run to the 2022 World Series really got going in Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Braves, when with the series tied at a game apiece, Rhys Hoskins crushed a three-run homer to right to give his team a 4-0 lead and take full command of the series.

Hoskins slammed his bat down for perhaps the signature Red October moment of this era of Phillies baseball.

Strider also got the start for Game 4 of the 2023 NLDS, when Suarez again dominated the Braves bats, leaving the Ohio native to take the loss.

His postgame comments Tuesday go to show the sort of competitor the Atlanta ace is— never one to let anyone know when they're in his head.

Are the Phillies? Is the Citizens Bank crowd? Maybe we'll have another chance to find out this October.