With one out in the fourth inning and Max Fried preparing a 3-2 delivery to freshly-promoted Red Sox rookie Jhostynxon Garcia, the Yankees’ southpaw received an unexpected mound visit on Friday night.
But the visit didn’t come from Yankees manager Aaron Boone, pitching coach Matt Blake, or even a teammate. Instead, a loose squirrel approached Fried on the bump, coming within inches of his feet before being shooed away. The critter then scampered toward Ben Rice at first base and, eventually, Cody Bellinger in right field before seeking shelter in Yankee Stadium’s digital scoreboard in right.
Fortunately for Fried, the squirrely encounter ended up being his closest call of the night, as the ace held Boston scoreless for six innings while totaling four hits, three walks and seven strikeouts over 99 pitches. Unfortunately for the Yankees, the performance didn’t lead to a win, as Boston squeaked by with a 1-0 victory.
The Yankees are now 1-7 against the Red Sox this season. Boston, meanwhile, now has a half-game lead over the Yankees atop the American League Wild Card standings.
While the rival Red Sox remained a thorn in the Yankees’ side on Friday, Fried’s much-needed return to form provided a silver lining.
The ace had been dreadful in his last eight starts, recording a 6.80 ERA over 41 innings. Fried, signed to a record-breaking deal over the winter, had previously posted a 1.92 ERA over his first 17 starts with the Yankees, but command over his seven-pitch arsenal eluded him throughout his skid.
The Yankees had trouble identifying exactly why Fried lacked control — they’ve repeatedly said a pre-All-Star break blister hasn’t been an issue since healing weeks ago — but first-pitch strikes and misplaced curveballs didn’t do Fried any favors throughout his scuffles.
Prior to Friday’s game, Blake added that Fried had been too dependent on his cutter, his most-used pitch, “to a certain extent.” Fried had used the pitch at a 31.1% clip, but its usage dropped to 16% on Friday.
Fried used his sinker, typically his third-most used pitch, the most on Friday, throwing it 23% of the time.
“Rebalancing the arsenal a little bit would probably go a long way for him,” Blake said pregame, offering a hint of what was to come.
Alas, Fried’s first strong start in a while couldn’t last all night, and the Yankees had to turn the game over to their inconsistent bullpen in the seventh. That’s when Mark Leiter Jr. surrendered back-to-back doubles to Nathaniel Lowe and Connor Wong, resulting in the only run of the game.
The Yankees’ offense also spoiled Fried’s recalibration, mustering just three hits and a walk over seven innings against Red Sox starter Brayan Bello. The righty has dominated the Bombers in two starts this season, refusing to allow a run over 14 frames.
The Yankees also ran themselves out of an opportunity in the sixth inning, as Austin Wells was doubled up after wandering too far off first base on a Trent Grisham liner.
Originally Published:
