Max Fried returns to San Diego looking for another postseason gem

Even though it's been a long time, Fried now has a chance to deal a serious blow to the only other franchise he knows. He starts Game 2 of the Wild Card Series on Wednesday with a chance to either save his team's season or end his opponent's campaign.

While Fried's postseason resume is best known for his performance in Game 6 of the 2021 World Series, he has largely produced mediocre results on the biggest stage. He has a 4.57 ERA over 65 postseason innings. He has not pitched more than six innings in a playoff game since Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against Cincinnati in 2020.

However, Fried appears to be ready for the occasion if his latest start is any indication. In a game the Braves desperately wanted to win, he fell one short of a complete game. The Braves will need a similar Fried in Game 2, especially considering how depleted their pitching was after Monday's doubleheader.

“It's great to know we have Max in either an elimination game or a game where we can get the win,” manager Brian Snitker said. “Obviously I had a great start to a big game. It’s good to have someone with Max’s experience to lean on tomorrow in the postseason.”

This could be Fried's last start with the Braves as he is scheduled to hit free agency this winter. But that's not on anyone's mind. The Braves take on the role of underdogs after being considered favorites for several years. They like that everyone picked the Padres in this series. They like that they have some momentum after fighting for their lives at the end of the season.

As the cliche goes, that momentum is the starting signal for the next day. The Braves are pretty happy with the lefty they have.

“Max is as consistent as it gets,” first baseman Matt Olson said. “I always talk about his ability to adapt to the batsmen. There's a lot of guys in the league that have their pitches, and that's what they introduce that day – three, four pitches.

“I feel like Max is capable of tinkering with things. He has a four-seam that stays true and he has a four-seam that cuts. He has a cutter, a sinker, a change-up and a curve-ball sweeper. It has all these different components. And he's really good at figuring out how he wants to approach guys. If you see him once, he's a completely different pitcher the next time. Try attacking them in a different way.

“I think that’s a testament to his preparation. Obviously he knew what he wanted to do and he had a game plan between the catchers and (coach) Sal (Fasano) and Kranny (pitching coach Rick Kranitz). They put together a good game plan.”