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Atlanta Braves: Max Fried struggles early as Phillies take Game 2

By Steven Teal

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 10: Jean Segura #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies tags out Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves trying to steal second base in the top of the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park on September 10, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Braves 6-5. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 10: Jean Segura #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies tags out Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves trying to steal second base in the top of the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park on September 10, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Braves 6-5. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

2. Fried has stressful five innings of work

Max Fried has been a nice surprise for Atlanta this year. There have definitely been some struggles along the way but he’s been pretty dependable for the Braves each time he takes the mound.

He’s currently the best pitcher on the Atlanta Braves record-wise with 16 wins. So, if you’re the Braves you have to think that you’ve got the chance to win every time he starts.

The Phillies had other plans as they tagged Fried for 4 runs in the first inning. This gave the Braves a taste of their own medicine as they did this to Aaron Nola the night before.

J.T. Realmuto hit a home run off the foul pole in left field and then Bryce Harper launched a no-doubt homer to right field on the first pitch putting the Braves down 2-0. With two outs in the inning, it looked like Max had a chance to get out of it but Rhys Hoskins hit a double and Corey Dickerson added insult to injury with a 2-run shot to right field.

Mercifully, the inning ended with a ground ball off the bat of Sean Rodriguez.

Fried looked much better in the second inning. He settled in and gave the Atlanta Braves offense a chance to bail him out. They obliged that in the third inning as they batted around and scored 4 runs to get Max off the hook.

Unfortunately, this would not last very long as Scott Kingery absolutely crushed a ball to center field. Ronald Acuna Jr. looked like he had a good read on the ball and he did.

Acuna lept to try and catch the ball and it appeared he had caught the ball and gotten Fried out of the inning. Unluckily, the ball popped out of his glove as he landed and unwisely signaled toward the umpires that he thought he had caught the ball instead of quickly getting the ball in.

Had Acuna gotten the ball in quickly, there’s a chance Kingery stops at third and Fried has a shot to get out of the inning. Or maybe Kingery scores regardless with the speed that he possesses.

One thing I do know, Acuna will learn from that mistake. You definitely cannot let that happen.

That homer and a sixth-inning solo home run allowed by A.J. Minter sealed Fried’s fate as the Braves would lose 6-5 in Philly.

Fried now carries a 16-5 record with a 4.02 ERA with 164 strikeouts in 154.1 innings pitched. His walk rate has been pretty good as well as it sits at 2.51 walks per nine innings.

Last night was disappointing but we need Max to shake it off and keep up the good work he has done for a majority of the 2019 season.

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