Max Fried’s Strong Performance Against the Rays

Max Fried delivered a notably aggressive performance in this game.

With the Yankees needing to tighten their bullpen usage, stop a losing streak, and rely on their ace, Fried stepped up and met the challenge head-on for their 12th victory of the season.

An early misstep by Anthony Volpe set the tone, contributing to two early runs in the first inning. Following that, Jonathan Aranda hit a home run in the third, which pushed the score to 3-0. The Yankees had to dig deep to come back from that deficit.

After a rough outing post-All-Star break, in which Fried gave up a season-high six runs to the Blue Jays last week, he returned to form on Tuesday. He looked like the reliable pitcher who had been solid all season.

Manager Aaron Boone noted, “He’s just grinding it out like a stud.” Before the game, Boone mentioned that a blister issue on Fried’s left index finger was no longer a concern.

Fried’s effectiveness was clear, especially with his curveball, which he threw 34 times, resulting in eight strikeouts. His only struggles came in the first and last innings. The first was marred by Volpe’s error, while the last came when Boone left him in for one extra batter despite having just walked a hitter.

Fried kept his composure throughout, although the crowd showed its mixed feelings—you could feel the tension when he allowed a run in the waning moments, courtesy of a double from Taylor Walls.

This was his 111th pitch of the night, and, notably, it was the first hit he allowed after Aranda’s homer. Reflecting on the game, Fried said, “I wasn’t getting the best results lately, but it was crucial for me to go out there and set us up to win. I just wanted to make sure I could help the team.”