Back-to-back losses to the last-place Miami Marlins have left the Atlanta Braves reeling. After Sunday's terrible 7-0 loss, the Braves have some questions to answer, particularly the recently activated pitcher Max Fried. The pitcher had been sitting on the injured list due to left forearm neuritis that first bothered him a few weeks ago. He hadn't made an appearance since warming up for the MLB All-Star Game on July 16.
Max Fried's forgettable return
After the Marlins loss, Max Fried owned up to his poor showing.
“Me personally I'm frustrated I didn't give us a chance to win and put us in a big hole,” Fried told reporters after the game. He also explained how his play put them in a losing position to the hapless Marlins. “A little bit before we have an opportunity and they make a good play, and we've got some stuff going, and I kinda got there and lead to giving up a six-spot and kinda deflates everything,”
“[I'm] not happy and frustrated,” he said. “Especially coming back off the IL, I wanted to contribute 'cause we've been playing really well and had things rolling.”
“Definitely, definitely frustrating,” Fried said to end his interview.
The Braves' sudden struggles
Despite the loss, the Braves remain on top of the NL Wild Card standings with a record of 60-51. They had also won six of their last seven games heading into Saturday. Putting together more wins would have helped them cut into the Philadelphia Phillies' five-game lead in the National League, but a 2-2 split with the Marlins cost them valuable games.
These results are even more disappointing given that the Marlins themselves had come to Atlanta having lost 15 of their last 25 games. Moreover, the Marlins had even traded away most of their key players during the MLB trade deadline.
To make matters worse, the visiting team had shut out the Braves at home for only the first time since Logan Webb and the San Francisco Giants did it in 2021. This streak had been the third-longest since 1901, or the Modern Era. Moreover, the Braves had been second only to the New York Yankees' streak of 233 games from 1930 to 1933 and the Colorado Rockies' 361 games from 1999 to 2003.
Braves manager Brian Snitker also admitted that the team could have given Fried a rehab start, but decided it would be better for the long-term to get the veteran pitcher back into big league play as soon as possible. After the loss, though, the manager said that the team has to flush this game and move on to the next.
“I'm glad we have an off-day tomorrow so that we can get rid of this one and take a couple showers,” Snitker told reporters.
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