ATLANTA — Max Fried has earned the correct to be pushed just a little longer than the common pitcher. However after the Braves’ veteran labored by way of the primary 5 innings of an 8-6 loss to the Phillies on Friday night time at Truist Park, there was purpose to query why he was allowed to face Phillies shortstop Trea Turner a fourth time.
“Max has by no means been a kind of guys that I’m nervous about [facing a lineup] the third time by way of,” Braves supervisor Brian Snitker stated. “He at all times has a means of creating pitches. When it doesn’t work … ”
Turner’s two-run homer within the sixth inning sailed just a little farther than the one he hit in opposition to Fried within the fourth inning. Extra importantly, it was the crushing blow in a collection opener that solely added to the frustration the Braves have felt as they’ve tried to at the least keep inside putting distance of the Phillies within the Nationwide League East.
“The season isn’t over,” Braves third baseman Austin Riley stated. “You possibly can’t really feel sorry for your self. You’ve received to proceed to go on the market and put your finest foot ahead.”
As an alternative of making some much-needed momentum, the Braves fell 10 video games behind the front-running Phillies. Atlanta’s bid to win a seventh straight division title has turn into extra unlikely because it has misplaced 26 of 47 video games going again to Could 15. Philadelphia has received 28 of 45 inside that very same span.
Fried took the mound trying to get this weekend began in auspicious trend. However he surrendered 10 hits by way of the primary 4 innings. Even with an ideal fifth, he entered the sixth having thrown 88 pitches.
Letting Fried start the sixth made sense. He began with a flyout vs. Cristian Pache after which had a lefty vs. lefty matchup in opposition to Bryson Stott. However retaining Fried within the recreation following an eight-pitch stroll to Stott was questionable. He had thrown 97 pitches when Turner strolled towards the plate.
Braves bullpen coach Erick Abreu is serving because the pitching coach whereas Rick Kranitz offers with a household matter. It appeared like Abreu needed to speak to Fried. However he stopped and rapidly went again down the dugout stairs.
“He was on the cellphone [with the bullpen],” Snitker stated. “By the point he was able to go on the market, it was too late.”
Turner responded by drilling an 0-1 slider deep into the left-field seats. The 459-foot dwelling run gave the Phillies a 5-2 lead and additional tarnished Fried’s line. The Braves starter allowed 5 runs on 11 hits and one stroll over six innings.
Fried had by no means beforehand allowed the identical hitter to homer twice in a single recreation. In truth, J.T. Realmuto (2019), Scott Kingery (2019), Bryce Harper (2019), Adam Duvall (2021), Mark Canha (2022) and Wilmer Flores (2023) had been the one gamers to hit two homers in any season in opposition to Fried.
“I simply left two actually dangerous pitches over the center of the plate,” Fried stated. “It was so simple as that.”
Fried recorded simply two outs earlier than he was pulled from his first begin of the season in Philadelphia. He allowed seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in opposition to the D-backs the next week. However he entered Friday with a 2.08 ERA in 14 begins since.
Sadly, this outing might need value him a shot at incomes an All-Star choice.
Riley’s two-run shot in opposition to Aaron Nola within the fourth inning was his eleventh homer of the season and his eighth homer in a span of 68 at-bats going again to June 14. Marcell Ozuna ended his season-high 12-game homerless drought with a three-run shot within the eighth inning.
However Ozuna’s twenty second homer of the season wasn’t sufficient to erase the harm of Philadelphia’s mistake-aided three-run seventh.
Jesse Chavez was late to cowl first base on Whit Merrifield’s grounder to the correct facet, partly as a result of he assumed first baseman Matt Olson was going to discipline it cleanly and get to the bag in time. Two batters later, Chavez’s heel received caught within the grass as he tried to throw to first base on a Johan Rojas dribbler in entrance of the mound. Merrifield scored from second and Rojas reached second. Rojas then scored when he stole third and Riley could not deal with the throw for an additional error.
It was an unsightly inning for what has been an unsightly couple months for the Braves.
