HOUSTON — The Braves confirmed left-hander Max Fried will start Game 2 of the World Series against the Astros on Wednesday. The Astros will start right-hander Jose Urquidy.
“It’s a really good team,” Fried said of the Astros. “They take really good at-bats. They’re going to make you throw strikes. They’re not going to chase a ton. They’ve obviously been here. They’ve been in the moment. They’ve played a lot of playoff games. You know that this moment and the crowd and everything isn’t going to be too big for them. They’re going to be ready to come out here and win baseball games.
“So to really just bear down, and at the end of the day, if we play our game, we know that we’re a really good team and we have a chance to win.”
Fried, 27, will make his eighth postseason start. He has a 3.78 ERA in three starts (16-2/3 innings) this postseason, most recently pitching in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers.
The southpaw built off his breakout 2020 throughout this season. Fried had a 1.74 ERA in the second half, which was best in MLB. After pitching six scoreless innings against the Brewers in Game 2 of the NL Division Series, Fried wasn’t as sharp against the Dodgers. He allowed seven runs over 10-2/3 innings.
Veteran Charlie Morton, who won a championship with the Astros in 2017, started Game 1 in Houston. The Braves haven’t announced their pitching plans beyond Game 2, but Ian Anderson likely will start Game 3, with a bullpen game following.
Braves notes:
- Outfielder Ronald Acuna, starter Mike Soroka and catcher Stephen Vogt are with the Braves in Houston. The trio is sidelined with injuries but the team wanted them to experience the World Series.
“We wanted everybody that had a part of this (to be here),” manager Brian Snitker said. “And you’re only allowed X number of guys. I’m really glad these guys can be here to experience this with their teammates. Ronald had a big hand in this until he was hurt. I want them to experience it because they are part of this club.”
- Kyle Wright making the World Series roster was a surprise. Snitker said Wright is an option to start Game 4, which will be a bullpen game. He gives the Braves another right-hander who can cover multiple innings.
“Kyle had been throwing really, really well as the Triple-A for a while now,” Snitker said. “It’s not a small sample size. We go back and look, and he’s really maturing as a pitcher. Triple-A, even at the alternate site, he’s just been throwing really well, and it’s just another length option for us.”
