Headed into Tuesday night, Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried had not won a game in his last seven starts. The Braves offense, headed by first baseman Matt Olson put up nine runs in the first 2 innings, with Olson driving in five of those. Then the rains came.
After an 86 minute rain delay, Fried told Braves manager Brian Snitker that he wanted to go back in the game, and Snitker obliged.
Fried ended up going 5 innings while giving up only one earned run, and the Braves bullpen was able to hold on for a 10-6 victory. This was a huge win for Fried, who since returning from the IL has slowly but surely increased his workload and gets a much deserved win.
While Olson did most of the heavy lifting for the Braves offense, an unsung hero of Monday night’s game was second baseman Whit Merrifield, who went 5-for-5 at the plate and scored twice.
This presents a unique opportunity for the Braves once Ozzie Albies comes back, as Merrifield has hit right around .400 since joining the club. Andy Bunker and Randy McMichael talk about Fried coming on for the stretch run, and what the Braves may do with their all of a suddenly found depth.