Max Fried wins NL pitcher of the month

Braves left-hander Max Fried won National League pitcher of the month for September, MLB announced Monday.

Fried went 3-0 with a 1.54 ERA over six starts. He struck out 36 and walked seven over 41 innings, holding opponents to a .162 average in that span. The Braves went 5-1 in his starts.

His best outing came Sept. 24 in San Diego, where Fried tossed his second career shutout (and second this season). He held the Padres to three hits while requiring 98 pitchers to finish his nine-inning masterpiece. Fried had a 0.39 ERA across his final three starts, ending his season with one of the best stretches of his career.

Fried’s 1.74 ERA in the second half ranked best in the majors. Overall, the 27-year old had a 3.04 ERA in 28 starts. It was his second consecutive ace-worthy season as Fried continues blossoming into one of the game’s premier southpaws.

Next, Fried will start Game 2 of his team’s NL Division Series against the Brewers in Milwaukee on Saturday.