MILWAUKEE — Max Fried, as he did throughout the Braves’ dash to October, delivered in his team’s time of need. And his dominance Saturday flipped the National League Division Series to the Braves’ favor.
Behind Fried and their best hitters sparking the offense, the Braves defeated the Brewers, 3-0, in Game 2 of the best-of-five NLDS. It evened the series at 1-1 as it shifts to Truist Park for the next two contests Monday and Tuesday, giving the Braves an advantage.
Sensational pitching is the story of the series thus far, as expected. Charlie Morton, Corbin Burnes, Fried and Brandon Woodruff, along with the teams’ bullpens, have resulted in six runs scored across the first two games.
Fried, though, was the best of them all. The southpaw, whose 1.74 second-half ERA was best in the majors, picked up where he left off in the regular season. He held the Brewers to three hits over six scoreless innings. He outdueled Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff, whose 2.56 ERA was fourth lowest in the NL.
The Brewers stayed within striking distance throughout the afternoon, but Fried’s impeccable command made their two-run deficit feel insurmountable. Fried had a three-ball count three times, with none of those hitters reaching base. He struck out nine and didn’t issue a walk. Two of the three hits he surrendered were on soft contact.
Manager Brian Snitker lifted Fried for pinch-hitter Joc Pederson with two out and none out in the seventh. After getting punished for keeping Morton into the seventh in Game 1, Snitker played it conservatively and removed Fried at 81 pitches with a three-run advantage.
The decision looked shaky for a moment, with the Brewers mounting a two-out rally against reliever Luke Jackson. Snitker turned to lefty Tyler Matzek with two on and two out, and the southpaw struck out Tyrone Taylor on four pitches (the one called ball was still in the strike zone) to end the threat.
Matzek saw the first two Brewers reach in the eighth. He again escaped, retiring the next three in order, capped with a strikeout of Avisail Garcia. Will Smith pitched around two base runners to finish the game.
Morton, who started Game 1, and Fried have met lofty expectations. Both put the Braves in position to defeat the Brewers’ co-aces Corbin Burnes and Woodruff. Morton and Fried were a primary reason the Braves felt they could go on an October run. They showed why during the past two days in Wisconsin.
Morton and Fried combined to hold the Brewers to two runs on six hits over 12 innings. They struck out 18 and walked one.
The Braves obtained their first lead of the series in the third inning. Leadoff man Jorge Soler ignited the offense, ripping a 111-mph one-out double down the third-base line.
First baseman Freddie Freeman wouldn’t let his team squander another chance with a runner in scoring position (they were 0 for 6 in such opportunities this series before the inning). He popped a two-strike curveball from Woodruff into right field. Soler, thrown out at home in the first inning of Game 1, was safe this time and gave the Braves a 1-0 lead.
Second baseman Ozzie Albies smashed a ball that bounced off the top of the right-field wall. Albies just missed a homer, but the double brought Freeman home for the team’s second run.
The Braves had one run on four hits in Game 1. They had two runs on three hits in the third inning of Game 2.
While Soler and Freeman were held hitless in the Braves’ 2-1 Game 1 loss, they drew a combined three walks. The duo had two hits, scored two runs and walked once in Saturday’s win, setting the table for the crucial third inning.
Third baseman Austin Riley gave the Braves additional breathing room with a 424-foot homer off Woodruff in the sixth. It was Riley’s second postseason home run following his blast in Game 1 of the 2020 NL Championship Series.
It wasn’t an elimination game, but Saturday was close to a must-win. The Braves split in Milwaukee, creating the possibility of ending the series with two victories at home. They prevented the Brewers from securing consecutive wins with Burnes and Woodruff starting. The Braves will see Burnes again if they return to Milwaukee for a decisive Game 5, but they’ll try to prevent that scenario in the upcoming week.
The Braves and Brewers will hold workouts at Truist Park on Sunday before resuming their series with Game 3 on Monday afternoon. Ian Anderson (9-10, 2.56) will start for the Braves. Anderson had a 0.96 ERA over four starts last October.
