Max Fried’s emotions were unmistakable as he stepped off the mound to a thunderous standing ovation at Truist Park. The Braves ace, so often the calming force under pressure, took a moment to soak it all in.
Standing ovation for Max Fried 👏
(via @MLB)
pic.twitter.com/V775oywzIM— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 28, 2024
It was hard not to, especially given the potential weight of the moment. With free agency looming at the end of the season, this outing—a masterful 3-0 win over the Kansas City Royals—may very well have been his last in front of the Atlanta faithful as a Brave.
“Walking off and hearing that, it was emotional,” Fried confessed. “I’m extremely thankful and very grateful.”
For a pitcher who has delivered countless gems since his debut in 2017, this performance felt like a signature moment. He went 8 2/3 innings, flirted with a shutout, and left the Braves tied with the Mets and Diamondbacks for the final two NL Wild Card spots. As Fried exited the field, his mind wasn’t on contracts or negotiations—it was on the immediate task at hand: keeping Atlanta’s playoff hopes alive.
“We’ve seen Max do that how many times, when we need him, and just have the game of his life,” Braves skipper Brian Snitker remarked. “When I saw that first inning, I thought, ‘This is going to be a good one.'”
And what a game it was. Fried struck out nine batters, setting the tone early by fanning two in a perfect first inning. As the game wore on, his control sharpened, and it wasn’t until the ninth inning that the Royals threatened. Bobby Witt Jr. worked a two-out walk and advanced to third on Michael Massey’s double, forcing Fried to give up the ball with just one out remaining in his shutout bid. Closer Raisel Iglesias came in and needed only one pitch to seal the deal, getting the Braves the win.
“That was awesome,” catcher Sean Murphy said, who also played hero with his two-run homer in the fourth inning that proved decisive. “You couldn’t ask for more.”
As much as this was a team effort, the night was all about Fried. The lefty has been a cornerstone of the Braves rotation, a product of the massive rebuild the franchise undertook nearly a decade ago. From his six scoreless innings in Game 6 of the 2021 World Series to clinch a championship to Friday night’s near-shutout, Fried’s contributions to Atlanta baseball are already legendary.
But with his impending free agency, questions about Fried’s future loom large. Could this have been his last moment of brilliance in a Braves uniform? Both the fans and Fried felt the weight of that possibility. “I just wanted to make sure I left everything out there,” Fried said. “This was a big game. We needed to win, and we need to win every single game the rest of the year.”
His only blemishes before the ninth were a Witt infield single and Massey’s sixth-inning double. Fried entered the ninth having thrown just 83 pitches, well on his way to what’s known as a “Maddux“—a complete game shutout with fewer than 100 pitches, a feat made famous by Greg Maddux himself. Fried already notched one earlier in the season, but this time, he fell one out shy.
Nevertheless, Fried’s efforts gave fans an opportunity to show their appreciation. The standing ovation was a fitting tribute to a pitcher who has given his heart and soul to the team. And for Fried, it was a chance to say thank you in return.
“[The fans] motivate us a lot and make us dig deeper when we might think we don’t have it,” Fried said. “The belief and energy helps lift us to do things we didn’t think we could do in that moment.”
Whether this was Fried’s final act in Atlanta or not, one thing is certain—he’s left an indelible mark on the Braves and their fanbase. And as the postseason chase heats up, the Braves will need every bit of that energy and belief to make a final push.
