Max Fried looking to push Braves back to playoffs

ATLANTA — If this is Max Fried’s final season in Atlanta, it might as well end like each of his previous six seasons: with a trip to the playoffs.

Fried looked like a man on a mission as he aided the Braves’ postseason bid in a 3-1 win over the Blue Jays on Friday night at Truist Park. His effort extended the September dominance he has produced each of the past three seasons.

“That’s the Max we know,” catcher Travis d’Arnaud said. “He’s not afraid of anybody. He just attacks guys and he’s not afraid of contact. He did a tremendous job today.”

After their offense was silenced by Austin Gomber in a loss to the Rockies on Thursday night, the Braves tallied a three-run second inning against Kevin Gausman. The early production was more than enough for Fried, who allowed one unearned run and five hits while striking out eight over seven innings.

“He’s stringing together a lot of good outings in a row now, like we’ve seen him do in the past a lot,” manager Brian Snitker said.

Fried, who will be a free agent this winter, will always be remembered for the six scoreless innings he delivered when the Braves clinched the 2021 World Series with a Game 6 victory in Houston. What might not be as easily remembered is how he helped secure a National League East title while producing a 1.54 ERA while totaling 41 innings over six September starts that season.

The stoic southpaw is now 9-2 with a 1.64 ERA over the 16 September starts he has made going back to 2021. Blake Snell leads the league with a 1.57 ERA over 13 September starts during this four-season span.

“There’s no moment too big for him,” d’Arnaud said. “He’s very good at staying calm and knowing he just has to execute and not do too much. It showed today.”

Fried has a 2.35 ERA in 32 career appearances (26 starts) in September. This ranks third among all MLB pitchers who have thrown at least 120 innings in September going back to Fried’s 2017 rookie season. The only pitchers with a better mark are Justin Verlander (2.20) and Snell (2.26).

“The last couple years, there’s always been a snag that hits, but I’m feeling really great,” Fried said. “This time of year, we’re coming down to the end and we don’t have many games left, so you’re just putting it all on the line for your teammates and for your organization.”

The snags Fried referenced were the virus that caused him to lose 15 pounds during the final week of the 2022 regular season, and the blister that forced him to miss the final week of the 2023 regular season.

Carrying a healthy Fried, Chris Sale and Reynaldo López into October would give the Braves the kind of starting pitching trio that could carry them deep into the playoffs. But they must gain entry. They are currently tied with the Mets for the NL’s final Wild Card spot.

“All I think about is we need to win tomorrow,” Snitker said. “I don’t get caught up [in the Wild Card standings]. I know it’s there. But it doesn’t do me any good because the most important thing we’re going to do this year is play tomorrow’s game.”

When you have a rotation like the Braves have, it’s usually comforting to look toward that next game. Atlanta’s starters haven’t allowed more than three earned runs in any of their past 25 games. Per Elias, this is the sixth longest streak in MLB history, trailing only the 2021 Dodgers (32 games), 1972 Indians (28), 1908 St. Louis Browns (26), 1917 White Sox (26) and the 1966 Phillies (26).

“We’re throwing the ball well and that’s kind of where you want to be at the end of the year,” Fried said.

The Braves owned just a half-game division lead before Fried threw seven scoreless innings in a Sept. 19, 2021 win in San Francisco. The lead grew to 1 1/2 games when he threw a three-hit shutout in San Diego five days later. A division title was clinched the following week.

September’s arrival has given Fried a chance to take charge yet again.

“Knowing I only have a handful of starts left, I want to leave it all out there,” Fried said.