Max Fried Dominates Marlins in Complete Game Shutout

The Atlanta Braves watched their lefty starter put up one of the best performances of his career

Atlanta Braves pitching coach Rick Kranitz and catcher Travis d'Arnaud had a first person view of Max Fried's dominance tonight. / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Braves cruised to an easy 5-0 win over the Miami Marlins in Truist Park to win the series early. They’re now 3-1 against the Marlins this season, a team they’ve dominated in recent years. 

Here’s what you need to know about from the contest.

Max Fried had that dawg in him tonight

Max Fried’s 2024 hadn’t really gone the way he wanted it to, with an ERA of 7.71 entering tonight. 

Well, it’s coming down. Fried pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only three hits (two to Luis Arraez), striking out 6 on 92 pitches (69 strikes). 

If you were curious, that’s a “Maddux” - a complete game shutout on less than 100 pitches, named after Braves legend and MLB Hall of Famer Greg Maddux. It’s the third one of Fried’s career. 

Fried made some really interesting changes to his pitch mix tonight, as well. Fried’s slider vs sweeper usage had been evolving over the last few seasons - as recently as 2022, he didn’t throw the sweeper at all and used the slider just under 20%, but he entered this game at 14.4% sweeper and just 3.4% slider usage on the 2024 season. 

But tonight, Fried made some changes, restoring the usage of his traditional slider and practically dropping the sweeper completely - he threw one, getting a strikeout of Luis Arraez. He also threw the changeup a lot more, which makes sense with the lefties in the Miami lineup. Fried finished with 14 whiffs on 51 swings and a 35% CSW, well above average. 

Max Fried, Wicked 85mph Slider. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/SUWCRj9M7k

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 23, 2024

The bottom of the lineup RAKED tonight

It’s been a quiet start for Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Ronald Acuña Jr, with a combined six homers between the three sluggers. 

But the bottom of the order? They were on one tonight. Travis d’Arnaud, who hit five home runs in his last three starts, had a ground-rule double to center in the 4th and a single in the 8th. Adam Duvall hit a homer and a single, while Michael Harris II picked up two hits and drove in a run. Even #9 hitter David Fletcher got in on the action, with a sac fly RBI and a single.  

Duvall the way outta here 🔥#BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/ZtpRkv1ZSm

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 24, 2024

Miami’s miscues have hurt them

The Braves put up two runs in the 2nd inning...but they shouldn’t have. A play before the Harris double that got Atlanta on the board, Adam Duvall ground into a textbook 5-4-3 double play...except Marlins third baseman Otto Lopez booted the ball and Miami got no outs out of the play. 

That follows a play on Monday where the Marlins had two runners on and Jazz Chisholm Jr doubled...but no one scored because Luis Arraez and Bryan De La Cruz were both on third base, so Arraez had to take off for home and was thrown out by a LOT. 

If you’re not a good offense (which Miami isn’t), you’ve got to win on the margins. And Miami doesn’t do any of that stuff - they’re 30th in Outs Above Average, they’re 30th in chase rate, their team ERA was 27th in all of baseball entering tonight, their walk rate was 28th, and they had exactly one baserunner who wasn’t negative in baserunning (Jazz Chisholm Jr.). 

If you have friends who are Marlins fans, think happy thoughts for them. Maybe send them some movie recommendations?      

What’s next for the Atlanta Braves?

Atlanta’s back at it tomorrow in the series finale, with Reynaldo López facing off against a “TBA” (but probably RHP Kyle Tyler, since he wasn’t used in relief tonight). First pitch is scheduled for 7:20 PM ET.