Braves rely on Max Fried in rematch against Marlins

Atlanta Braves left-hander Max Fried needs this game.

Damn, the Braves need the game too.

Fried (9-10, 3.49 ERA) will start for Atlanta against the host Miami Marlins on Saturday afternoon.

The Marlins scored a 4-3 win on Friday night, destroying the Braves' playoff hopes.

Miami manager Skip Schumaker said he was impressed with his players' response after his team's 20-4 loss to Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday.

“It was a great team win,” Schumaker said Friday. “It was a long night (on Thursday).”

The Braves (83-71) are two games behind the New York Mets in the race for the last wild card spot in the National League. Miami (57-97), meanwhile, has the worst record in the NL.

In some ways, this has been a very good season for Fried, who has a mix of four pitches that tends to produce low exit velocities.

Last season, Fried was only able to compete 14 times due to forearm, leg and bladder problems. This season, he is healthy again and has competed 27 times.

It's the third time in four years that Fried has started at least 27 games, but his record is concerning as he's on pace for his first sub-.500 season since 2018, when he went 1-4 as a part-time starter.

In addition, Fried's ERA – while solid – is his highest since 2019.

In his career, Fried is 71-36 with a 3.11 ERA. Against the Marlins, he is just 5-4 with a 4.44 ERA in 15 career appearances. This season, Fried is 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA against Miami.

However, he has lost his last two starts overall. Additionally, Fried is just 2-5 with a 4.35 ERA in the second half of this season.

Meanwhile, Miami will start with right-hander Adam Oller (1-4, 5.40 ERA) on Saturday.

Oller, who has never faced the Braves, turns 30 next month. He made his MLB debut at age 27, and his career major league numbers include a 4-13 record and a 6.66 ERA in 34 appearances (21 starts).

This year, the Marlins are 1-5 when Oller starts. He had a 3.31 ERA in three starts in August. This month, however, he has a 7.63 ERA.

Jake Burger leads Miami's offense with 27 home runs, seven fewer than his career high from last year.

For Atlanta, second baseman Ozzie Albies, a switch hitter, returned to the lineup on Friday and went 0 for 5.

Albies has been out of action since July 21 with a broken left wrist. He will hit exclusively with his right hand as he still experiences discomfort when hitting from the left side.

“I'm happy to be back on the team,” Albies said Friday. “I'm going to do everything in my power to get a 'W.'”

Braves manager Brian Snitker said Albies' speed will “enliven” Atlanta's batting order.

“You miss Ozzie when he's not here,” Snitker said. “He brings heart and soul to our game.”

–Field level media