Max Fried focused on what could be his last two starts for the Braves, and it showed

MIAMI — Under normal circumstances, Max Fried might have been more likely to think that he had tied Steve Avery for the fifth-most wins by a left-hander in Atlanta Braves franchise history.

But these are not normal circumstances, and Fried’s sole focus Saturday was to get the Braves a win over the Miami Marlins, as they cannot afford to lose many more games, if any, and have high hopes of making the postseason for the seventh consecutive year.

They won a game they were supposed to win, 6-2, on Saturday. Fried pitched six strong innings, and Matt Olson and Gio Urshela each hit a two-run homer in the four-run seventh inning with the game tied after six. It was Fried’s 10th win of the season and the 72nd of his eight-year career, all with the Braves.

“It’s that time of year we’re in. I really only had two starts left, so you just have to dig deep,” Fried said, “and I wanted to make sure I left every ounce of what I had out there today.”

The Marlins scored a run in the first inning on two consecutive hits before Fried struck out 11 consecutive batters. He didn’t score again until the sixth inning, when the Marlins scored an unearned run, and the Braves’ four-run seventh inning put him in a spot next to Avery.

Fried’s average four-seam fastball velocity of 93.8 on Saturday was 1.1 mph higher than his season average, and he threw as many curveballs (28) as fastballs. He also threw 20 changeups, a pitch that was especially effective after the first inning.

Max Fried, nasty changeups. 👌👌 pic.twitter.com/6CzOuicFgc

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) 21 September 2024

“That’s what he does,” Olson said of Fried’s in-game adjustments. “He can vary it up and adjust to guys; he’s not a one-trick pony by any means. He can read swings and see what they’re trying to do and kind of counter that. You’d think that everyone could do that, but that’s just not the case. He’s a real pitcher in that regard.”

Avery won 72 games in 203 games for the Braves, including 201 starts, while Fried won his 72nd game in his 167th game and 150th start for Atlanta. He had five hits and two runs (one earned) and had one walk with six strikeouts on Saturday.

“It’s obviously very special and humbling,” said Fried, who is in his sixth season as a full-time starter in the MLB. “I think I’m too much in the thick of it right now to give you a real perspective. Steve Avery was an incredible pitcher and did a lot of incredible things for this organization, so it’s an honor to be in the conversation with him.”

The Braves did not renew Fried’s contract and he would be a free agent the week after the World Series.

Atlanta is two games behind the New York Mets for the final wild-card spot in the National League despite having just seven games left in the season, including a three-game series against the Mets that begins Tuesday in Atlanta. Fried would be sidelined at regular time in Thursday’s series finale against the Mets, which could be his last start for the Braves if they don’t advance to the postseason.

He has pitched for them in each of the last six postseasons.

“He was really good during his time here, that’s for sure,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He showed up here as a kid. I had a really cool seat watching Max mature and become one of the best left-handers in our game.”

Sales, López updates

Snitker said the Braves are still debating whether to make Chris Sale start twice in the final week of the season due to his regular rest period on Tuesday and Sunday, or whether to give the projected NL Cy Young Award winner additional rest before his next start, which would effectively make this his last start of the regular season.

Meanwhile, Reynaldo López is unlikely to pitch again during the regular season. He is on the 15-day IL with shoulder inflammation after pitching one inning in his last start on Sept. 10 and exiting with shoulder inflammation. He threw some light pitches for the first time since the game on Friday and stepped up his performance a bit with long throws on Saturday, Snitker said.

The Braves could likely have López back for the postseason if they advance, either for a wild-card series or a division series.

As for Sale, the debate over the veteran ace’s status dates back to his last start on Thursday in Cincinnati, when his average four-seam speed was 92.7, 2.1 mph less than his season average. The average speeds of Sale’s sinker and vaunted slider were also more than 1 mph below his season average.

Asked if he felt Sale was a little tired, Snitker said Saturday: “No, I don’t have a feeling about him. He’s fine.”

Sale still limited the Reds to five hits and two runs with two walks in a 15-3 win over the Braves in five innings, earning his 18th win in 21 decisions, his MLB best and his biggest win, and increasing his strikeout total (most in the major leagues) to 225 in 177 2/3 innings.

Chris Sale returns to the K with the slider 🤮 pic.twitter.com/92GCOPpnxM

— MLB (@MLB) 19 September 2024

He also leads major league qualifiers with a 2.38 ERA and could become the third MLB pitcher to win the Triple Crown this century, joining Shane Bieber in 2020 and Johan Santana in 2006. The last person to accomplish this feat was Dwight Gooden in 1985.

But it’s also the first time Sale has thrown 150 innings since 2018, and his highest total since he led the majors with 214 1/3 innings in 32 starts in 2017. That was the last time he made more than 27 starts before making 29 starts this season.

In other words, the Braves must be aware of the workload of the 35-year-old, who has been spared the injuries that have plagued him for the past five seasons.

Do they use him twice in the final week — in Tuesday’s series opener against the Mets and Sunday’s season finale against Kansas City — to give themselves a better chance of catching the Mets and securing the third wild-card spot? Or do they use Sale once — on Wednesday or Thursday against the Mets — when they think they’ve secured a wild-card spot, and then have Sale ready to start a wild-card series opener?

(If he pitches twice in the final week, he would be unavailable for the starting lineup of a best-of-three wild-card series.)

Even if the Braves lose Fried to free agency, they could have an impressive rotation in 2025, led by Sale, Spencer Strider, who is coming off elbow surgery that limited him to two starts this season, López and sensational rookie Spencer Schwellenbach, who is a revelation in only his second season as a professional baseball player.

Albies have had problems since their return

Snitker said it might take some time for Ozzie Albies to adjust to batting exclusively right-handed after returning from the IL.

In the first two games after his two-month layoff because of a broken left wrist, Albies hit 1 of 10 pitches and hit the ball out of the infield twice – a lineout to right field on the first pitch he saw against right-hander Valente Bellozo on Friday in his first game back and an eighth-inning flyout on Saturday against right-hander Michael Peterson.

Albies’ only hit was a single on a ball that bounced off home plate in the fifth inning Saturday. Two batters later, he scored on a single by Olson to give the Braves a 2-1 lead.

One inning later, a throwing error by Albies to first base allowed the tying point as he attempted to complete a double play on a fielder’s decision.

Albies, who has been a switch hitter throughout his professional career, is currently hitting exclusively with his right hand due to left wrist pain. He continues to work on his left-handed swing and will return to hitting with both sides once he feels comfortable.

He has every intention of switching batting positions again during the Braves’ spring training, to dispel the notion that he will always bat right-handed and stick with it.

After returning from a two-game rehab stint this week, Albies faced three pitches in his first two at-bats Friday, including a pop fly in the third inning. He threw another pop fly in the fifth inning of that game and then grounded out on Michael Harris II’s leadoff single in the seventh inning, leading to a double play. Albies threw another ground out to end Friday’s 4-3 loss.

“He saw two pitches on his third at-bat,” Snitker said with a smile when asked before Saturday’s game if he noticed anything about Albies’ at-bat attempts on Friday. “But you know, he fouled out a couple really well. It’s going to be an adjustment. I didn’t expect him to come back here and hit three home runs, I really didn’t.”

“But I think the longer he is there, the more he sees, the better he can plan the right time.”

On Saturday, Albies faced a below-average right-hander, Adam Oller. He was thrown out on a groundout in the first inning, then on Harris’ leadoff single in the third. After going 0-for-7 in his first seven plate appearances outside the IL, Albies hit a ball that bounced off the plate for a single in the fifth inning.

(Photo: Rich Story/Getty Images)