Max Fried made his first Truist Park start in 101 days on Monday night.
It was like he’d never left.
Fried pitched into the seventh in his return to the Braves’ home field, scattering eight hits before leaving to loud cheers. His team rode an early offensive explosion to a comfortable 11-3 win over the Yankees, their fourth win in five consecutive games against New York teams.
Here are five observations:
1. Fried didn’t have his strikeout stuff, only punching out two in six innings. The eight hits he gave up tied for his most since July 25, 2022. But he showed why he’s the Braves’ ace, pitching around contact and stranding runners even when he wasn’t at his most dominant.
Some of it was due to weather, while some of it was due to rust. Fried was visibly uncomfortable on an especially humid Georgia night. He struggled with grip in the heat, and he estimated postgame that he’d lost five pounds of water weight. Despite this, he said he’d missed the weather — at least a little bit.
“I learned to embrace it,” Fried said. “I feel like it’s a little bit of our home-field advantage.”
Braves manager Brian Snitker told Fried it would be like a third spring training start. Fried agreed with that assessment.
While he wasn’t thrilled with his own performance, he was happy to be back on the Truist Park mound.
“I missed it,” Fried said. “Obviously the last one I had (here) didn’t go the way I wanted, so it was important for me to go out there and give us a really good chance to win.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
2. Trade-deadline acquisition Nicky Lopez is quickly playing his way into becoming a fan favorite. Lopez singled in his first three at bats, including a two-run single in the second that gave the Braves a 3-2 lead.
Lopez played in place of Ozzie Albies, who sat with a tight left hamstring. Lopez made the most of the opportunity, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Since joining the Braves from the Royals, Lopez is hitting .700 (7-for-10) with eight RBIs.
He said he was a little nervous about making a good first impression, but those nerves have seemingly subsided.
“I thought (to myself), all I need is a chance just to show that I can help this team in any way,” Lopez said. “And like I said, if it’s to give guys some days off, if it’s to let guys heal, if it’s to go in for an inning (and) pinch run, that’s what I want to do. And that’s what I’m here to do.”
Lopez knows his role, but that role is likely about to change. Snitker said postgame that Albies will be placed on the IL, clearing the way for more starts for Lopez.
3. The Braves scored their runs early, then cruised. They scored one in the first, three in the second, then four more in the third to take a commanding lead.
Austin Riley started it off with an opposite-field blast down the right-field line in the first. Lopez added his two-RBI single in the second, then was singled home by Michael Harris II, hitting in Albies’ usual spot.
The third inning was a different type of rally than usual. The Braves lead the league in home runs and usually bludgeon opponents with the long ball, but four runs in the third came on five singles and a double.
Eddie Rosario added a two-run homer in the eighth. He finished a triple short of the cycle, ending the day 3-for-5 with three runs and four RBIs.
4. The Braves did most of their damage off Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt, an Acworth native. Schmidt saw Monday’s game as a homecoming. He’d grown up a Braves fan, wore Chipper Jones’ 10 in high school, and estimated Sunday he’d have 40-50 friends and family members in attendance.
The Braves certainly gave him a rude welcome home.
Schmidt allowed eight runs in 2-1/3 innings. He gave up nine hits and walked two. He left the field to dimmed lights and a cascade of tomahawk chops.
5. While the Braves didn’t make a splash at the deadline, their signings have passed all early tests. Like Lopez, fellow deadline acquisition Pierce Johnson has excelled. Johnson pitched two innings Monday, giving up two hits but holding the Yankees scoreless.
Since being traded by the Rockies, Johnson has pitched 8-1/3 innings. He’s given up one run, which was unearned.
Stat to know:
8 - Lopez has eight RBIs in his first four games with the Braves. That mark is the best in franchise history over a player’s first four games.
Quotable:
“I’ve faced the Rangers twice this year, Baltimore, Boston twice, all the teams that are tops in baseball in offense. They were far and above, beyond those teams, I think.” - Schmidt, on the Braves
Up next
Bryce Elder (8-4, 3.64 ERA) faces right-hander Luis Severino (2-7, 8.06) Tuesday in the second of a three-game series. First pitch is at 7:20 p.m.
