Pirates rookie Bubba Chandler entered this game with a 4.77 ERA and the highest walk rate (13.1-percent) of any starter in baseball. Of course, that means the Yankees got blanked and drew just one walk in his 6.1 innings of work. Fortunately, Max Fried was even more dominant in his first start back from injury in over two months, the two starters trading zeroes long enough for the Yankees to strike against the Bucs’ bullpen. A Jasson Domínguez RBI double and Anthony Volpe RBI single in the seventh proved the decisive blows as the Yankees did just enough to win, 2-0, to split the doubleheader and win the series.
Fans of sharp defensive execution were in for a treat in the first inning. Fried looked to have given up a surefire double down the line in left to leadoff batter Nick Gonzales, but Cody Bellinger played the carom off the sidewall perfectly and fired an inch-perfect throw to Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second, who barely had to move his glove to apply the tag to Gonzales’ foot. The next batter Jared Triolo got down a decent bunt to the left, but the four-time Gold Glover Fried was quick off his mound to field it and fire a strike to first. Fried finished the inning with a swinging strikeout of Bryan Reynolds on an elevated 98.3 mph four-seamer, his fastest pitch of the season. That high water mark wouldn’t last long, as the next inning he punched out Marcell Ozuna looking on a 99 mph four-seamer.
Perhaps a side effect of Fried being on a pitch count of just 60 pitches — the amount planned for a second rehab start that got scrapped in lieu of him starting this game — Fried’s fastball was coming out hot the whole outing. It averaged over 96 mph this afternoon, which is almost two mph above his season average. It is particularly encouraging given that the bone bruise Fried suffered manifested itself as significantly reduced pitch velocity in the May 13th start against the Orioles that he was forced to depart after three innings. That’s a roundabout way of saying that Fried now appears fully healthy.
Fried’s day was finished after five scoreless innings allowing just one hit and one walk with seven strikeouts on 57 pitches, efficiently using nearly all of those 60 pitches he was allotted for this start. The four-seamer was as good as I’ve seen from him in pinstripes, and it wasn’t just the velocity. He was able to consistently paint the top ledge of the zone with the pitch, creating ample opportunity for chase and swing-and-miss against the secondaries which resulted in a 37-percent whiff rate on the day.
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Fans of sharp defensive execution were in for a treat in the first inning. Fried looked to have given up a surefire double down the line in left to leadoff batter Nick Gonzales, but Cody Bellinger played the carom off the sidewall perfectly and fired an inch-perfect throw to Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second, who barely had to move his glove to apply the tag to Gonzales’ foot. The next batter Jared Triolo got down a decent bunt to the left, but the four-time Gold Glover Fried was quick off his mound to field it and fire a strike to first. Fried finished the inning with a swinging strikeout of Bryan Reynolds on an elevated 98.3 mph four-seamer, his fastest pitch of the season. That high water mark wouldn’t last long, as the next inning he punched out Marcell Ozuna looking on a 99 mph four-seamer.
Perhaps a side effect of Fried being on a pitch count of just 60 pitches — the amount planned for a second rehab start that got scrapped in lieu of him starting this game — Fried’s fastball was coming out hot the whole outing. It averaged over 96 mph this afternoon, which is almost two mph above his season average. It is particularly encouraging given that the bone bruise Fried suffered manifested itself as significantly reduced pitch velocity in the May 13th start against the Orioles that he was forced to depart after three innings. That’s a roundabout way of saying that Fried now appears fully healthy.
Fried’s day was finished after five scoreless innings allowing just one hit and one walk with seven strikeouts on 57 pitches, efficiently using nearly all of those 60 pitches he was allotted for this start. The four-seamer was as good as I’ve seen from him in pinstripes, and it wasn’t just the velocity. He was able to consistently paint the top ledge of the zone with the pitch, creating ample opportunity for chase and swing-and-miss against the secondaries which resulted in a 37-percent whiff rate on the day.
View Link
#fried #yankees #inning
7 days ago
