That didn’t go as Max Fried planned.
In his return to the big leagues, Fried was called upon to pitch the 12th inning in the exact situation that prompted the Braves to promote him.
He walked Reds All-Star Joey Votto, then hung a curveball that Scooter Gennett planted in the seats for a 9-7 win.
“I have to make a better pitch,” he said. “I left a two-strike curveball up that I was trying to leave in the dirt. But I have to make a better pitch in that situation.”
It was Fried’s second losing decision of his career. While viewed as a starter, the Braves plugged Fried into the bullpen, perhaps just for a quick stint, in need of a fresh arm who could deliver multiple innings.
Fried’s not the only Braves pitcher to struggle with the Reds’ suddenly revived offense. Cincinnati has scored 24 percent (19 of 80) of its runs this season in the first two games of the four-game set.
