2022 National League All-Star Strikes Out a Career-High Against the Red Sox
The Atlanta Braves closed the month of May with some severely disappointing news as their best player Ronald Acuña Jr. would miss the 2024 MLB regular season with a torn ACL. Without last year’s National League MVP, Atlanta has been determined to be one of the six teams in the National League postseason, and perhaps take down the dangerous Philadelphia Phillies out of that top spot in the NL East division. Two seasons ago, the Braves went on a 14-game win streak in the month of June, and last June the team demolished 61 home runs. Last night, 2022 National League all-star pitcher Max Fried set a career-high of 13 strikeouts during the team’s 8-3 win in Boston against the Red Sox. Atlanta is now 34-24 after the win and sits seven games behind the Phillies for first place in the division.
Fried pitched seven innings allowing two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out a new career-high of 13 batters. In 12 starts, the 2022 National League pitcher has put up a record of 6-2. Through 73 and two third innings, the 30-year-old left-handed pitcher has recorded an ERA of 2.93 while striking out 67 batters. During his last start, Fried allowed just seven hits and a walk through eight innings while striking out six batters in an 8-3 win over the Washington Nationals. Back on May 11th, the left-handed starter pitched a no-hitter through seven innings allowing just three walks, with five strikeouts in a 4-1 victory over the New York Mets.
After the game, Fried said, “I think it was just more of the location on a lot of them. Just happened to be one of those nights where I was getting swings and misses rather than weak contact. You just kind of take what the game gives you and just try to embrace a little bit more of a swing-and-miss game.” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, “He’s a good one. He goes deep into the game. He’s got good stuff. He used his breaking ball well today to work ahead. He's one of the best. He does that every five days.”
