Max Fried is back on the mound and pitching fire. After being sidelined for over two months with an injury, Fried dominated in his first start back, hitting 99 MPH and making that Pirates lineup look absolutely silly. The Yankees definitely needed that kind of performance to claw out a 2-0 win and split the doubleheader, securing the series victory.
Fried’s Heater Is Back, Baby!
It was clear from the jump that Fried wasn’t just healthy, he was *unhittable*. This guy, who had to leave his May 13th start early because of reduced pitch velocity from a bone bruise, came out throwing absolute gas. His four-seamer averaged over 96 MPH, almost two ticks above his season average, which is just bonkers. He punched out Bryan Reynolds with a 98.3 MPH four-seamer for his fastest pitch of the season in the first, then went ahead and blew past that in the very next inning, getting Marcell Ozuna looking on a 99 MPH heater. Seriously, 99 MPH!
He was on a strict 60-pitch count, the amount planned for a rehab start that got scrapped, but he used every one of those 57 pitches efficiently. Fried wrapped up his day with five scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and one walk, racking up seven strikeouts. His ability to consistently paint the top of the zone with that fastball created a 37-percent whiff rate on the day. Not just speed, but precision. We also saw some sharp defensive plays from him early on, making a quick throw to first on Jared Triolo’s bunt. This guy looks fully healthy and ready to roll, which is a massive shot in the arm.
From Blanked to Blunders to Big Hits
While Fried was dealing, the offense was stuck in neutral against Pirates rookie Bubba Chandler. This dude came in with a 4.77 ERA and the highest walk rate in baseball at 13.1 percent, but the Yankees got absolutely blanked for 6.1 innings, managing just two hits and drawing only one walk. It was tough sledding, for sure.
The defense also had a little wobble in the seventh inning. Anthony Volpe, who would eventually be a hero, had a couple of rough plays. He double-clutched on a grounder from Triolo, making a late throw for a safe call at first. Then, he completely whiffed a throw from Ali Sánchez on a steal attempt by Triolo, letting the ball roll into center field and sending Triolo to third. Yikes. Thankfully, Paul Blackburn came in and continued his stellar relief streak, striking out Ryan O’Hearn and Ozuna to strand those runners. And you know what? Volpe made up for it right away, hitting an RBI single in the bottom half of the frame, right after Jasson Domínguez smacked an RBI double. Those two hits sealed the 2-0 victory.
What a day for Fried, and what a gritty win to split the series! With Fried back in dominant form, looking healthier and throwing harder than ever, the team’s got a whole new vibe. We’ll be watching closely to see if Fried can keep that velocity up in his next outing, because if he can, this rotation just got a serious upgrade.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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