BALTIMORE — Max Fried gave the New York Yankees exactly what they needed Thursday night, delivering one of his best outings of the season in a statement win over a division rival.
The left-hander struck out 13 over seven scoreless innings as the Yankees rolled past the Baltimore Orioles 7-0 at Camden Yards. The performance tied his career high for strikeouts and earned him his 18th victory of the year, setting a new personal best.
“He’s an ace, so he pitches like that,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s had a phenomenal year to this point.”
With the victory, the Yankees improved to 86-67. They now trail the Toronto Blue Jays by three games for the American League East lead. With nine games left in the regular season, New York holds the top AL wild card spot, sitting two games ahead of both Houston and Seattle.
Fried showcases elite arsenal in shutout gem
From the opening pitch, Max Fried overpowered Baltimore hitters. The Yankees ace allowed only three singles and one walk while generating 28 swings and misses out of 45 total swings. His changeup was especially sharp, producing eight misses on 10 swings.
The 31-year-old veteran struck out at least one batter in every inning except the first. He carved through a lineup that had won 12 of its previous 17 games and came in swinging the bats well.
“I was able both sides of the plate and had a real good feel for my changeup,” the Yankees ace said. “I’m feeling really good physically.”
Paul Goldschmidt, who has faced Fried many times since their National League days, praised the way the lefty kept hitters guessing.
“Number one, you don’t know what you’re going to get. He’s got so many pitches and he’s a smart pitcher out there,” Goldschmidt said. “He mixes it up, doesn’t fall into patterns and just executes. That’s what he was doing tonight.”
Yankees provide early support with clutch hitting
The Yankees backed their starter right away. In the first inning, Amed Rosario ripped a two-run double down the left-field line against Orioles starter Cade Povich. Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger scored easily, giving New York a quick 2-0 edge.
Rosario entered the game hitting .318 against left-handed pitchers this season. He made the most of his chance when Povich tried to sneak a changeup inside.
“They key for me was looking for a specific pitch,” Rosario said after the win. “I think I was looking for something in, he executed that pitch and I was ready for it.”
Anthony Volpe added another run for the Yankees in the fifth with his speed. He opened the inning with a hustle double, swiped third, then scored on a bloop RBI single from Austin Wells. The Yankees lead grew to 3-0.
Seventh inning explosion seals commanding victory
The Yankees blew the game open in the seventh. Goldschmidt lined an RBI single to right, Judge followed with a sacrifice fly, and Giancarlo Stanton drilled a two-run double down the left-field line. The four-run inning stretched the lead to 7-0 and put the game away.
That cushion was more than enough for Fried, who had already retired 12 straight batters at one point. The Yankees ace stayed ahead in counts and mixed all seven of his pitches with precision.
“Best changeup he’s probably had all year,” Boone said. “Stuff was really good. Just really in control of the game.”
Fried’s remarkable turnaround continues playoff push
Fried’s performance added to what has been an impressive second-half rebound. From July 1 through August 16, he struggled with a 6.80 ERA over eight starts. Since then, he has been close to unhittable.
Over his last six outings, the Yankees ace is 5-0 with a 1.60 ERA. His return to form has been key to New York’s push for October.
“I think anytime you go through a rough patch, if you learn from it and you’re able to make an adjustment, there’s a bright side to it,” the Yankees pitcher said. “Obviously, I wish I didn’t go through it. Not ideal, you want to go out there and win games, not put the team in a hole or give up leads.”
The adjustments, according to Fried, have been about simplifying. He has leaned into his deep pitch mix, focused on changing speeds, and trusted his defense.
Yankees riding momentum into final stretch
The Yankees are finding their stride at the right time. Thursday’s win was their 17th in the last 24 games and their 24th in the last 35. For the first time this year, they are 19 games over .500.
Travel fatigue did not show. After arriving in Baltimore around 3:30 a.m. following a game in Minneapolis, Fried’s dominance made sure the Yankees never looked sluggish.
“We’re playing some pretty good baseball right now,” Fried said. “That’s when you want to really hit your stride. So going into the last week or so, we’re excited and want to go out there and go into the playoffs strong.”
The Yankees continue their four-game set against Baltimore on Friday night. Rookie right-hander Will Warren will take the mound for New York against Orioles lefty Trevor Rogers. With both division and wild card races in play, games like Thursday’s prove how much of a difference a true ace can make.
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