It is worth reiterating: Max Fried is still pitching with shackles, not yet free to pitch as deep into games as he desires.
It is worth reiterating: The Yankees’ rotation is not yet whole.
And yet Fried again looked in peak form as part of a rotation that seems to be peaking with every start, and this Yankees offense needs every bit of its brilliance.
The lefty was the latest excellent Yankees starter — and, for a change, a rewarded Yankees starter — in a 3-2, 10-inning, comeback victory over the Braves on Friday night in The Bronx, where Fried faced his former team for the first time and pitched as if he had this game circled on his calendar since signing with the Yankees on Dec. 17, 2024.
Against old pals such as Ronald Acuña Jr., Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson, Fried dominated over 6 ¹/₃ shutout innings in which he let up just three hits and two walks while striking out seven.
He mixed in all seven pitches, watched his velocity tick up and was efficient, pitching into the seventh despite the Yankees being wary of his pitch count. Fried, who has been stretching out on the fly in the majors after making just one rehab start, jumped from 78 pitches in his previous outing to 90 on Friday, looking as sharp as, well, just about every other Yankees starter right now.
Fried & Friends have surrendered one run or fewer in eight of the past 10 games, a span in which Yankees starters have allowed 10 earned runs in 57 ²/₃ innings (1.56 ERA).
And yet the Yankees have won just five times in that stretch because the offense has too often has lacked a pulse — as it did for eight innings Friday, before waking up in the ninth and 10th.
When Fried was on the mound, he received no support — at least offensively. Defensively, the Yankees offered an assist.
The only true danger Fried encountered arrived immediately, Drake Baldwin and Albies reaching in the first inning. With two outs, Mauricio Dubón shot a single through the middle, Trent Grisham charging, crow-hopping and throwing strong — to third base, rather than home plate. Albies attempted to go from first to third and was tagged out by Ryan McMahon a split-second before Baldwin touched home, running the Braves into an out that cost them a run.
As it turned out, that was their last good chance against Fried, who allowed just one more Brave to reach second base and who retired the final 12 batters he saw.
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Against the only team he had known for his first eight major league seasons, Fried seemed in control and in good spirits. Some would aim for revenge; in exchanging friendly words and a smile with Olson after a fourth-inning fly out, Fried seemed to aim for a catch-up session.
Since coming off the IL, Fried has given up just four earned runs in 19 ⅔ innings (1.83 ERA).
