MILWAUKEE (AP) – Max Fried shone in six innings and the bullpen barely held out to agree with Brian Snitker for early retiring his starter from the duel that the Atlanta Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-0 on Saturday night, leveling the division series of the National League.
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Atlanta Braves starter Max Fried pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of the National League Division Series on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021 (AP Photo / Morry Gash)
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The Cuban Jorge Soler, of the Atlanta Braves, celebrates the victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, in the second game of the division series of the National League, on Saturday, October 9, 2021 (AP Photo / Aaron Gash)
The Brewers posted the potential tying run in each of the last three innings, but failed to land a timely hit.
Austin Riley homered and Ozzie Albies added an RBI double for the Braves, who rallied after losing the first game 2-1.
Tied 1-1, the series heads to Atlanta for Game 3, which will take place on Monday.
Fried struck out nine, allowed three hits and did not walk. The Brewers didn’t put a single running back in scoring position until Willy Adames doubled with two outs in the sixth inning.
And Fried responded by striking out Venezuelan Eduardo Escobar.
The left-hander was 7-0 with a 1.46 ERA during his last 11 starts in the regular season. Counting Saturday’s performance, Fried has received just one earned run in 29 innings over his last four starts.
This was the second exceptional start by a Braves starter in a series dominated by pitching.
Charlie Morton did not allow Milwaukee to run for six innings of Friday’s game. However, he was homered by Rowdy Tellez in the seventh inning, hitting his 85th and final pitch.
Snitker made sure Fried didn’t go that far. He had thrown 81 pitches and was replaced by a batter in the top of the seventh inning.
The decision was on the verge of paying Atlanta two additional races. Pinch-hitter Joc Pederson singled and Jorge Soler hit a long hit that left fielder Christian Yelich caught off the wall.
Then the Brewers made the game interesting against the bullpen, but the Braves came out ahead.
For the Braves, Cuban Soler 5-1 with a run scored. Puerto Rican Eddie Rosario 4-1.
For the Brewers, the Dominican Adames 4-1. Venezuelans Escobar 4-0, Avisaíl García 4-1, Manny Piña 2-0. The Mexican Luis Urías 4-2.
