Max Fried looks to continue his recent dominance Friday when the Braves begin a four-game series against the Padres
The Atlanta Braves will begin a four-game home series Friday night against the San Diego Padres. The Braves are coming off of a series win against the Chicago Cubs as Atlanta to start their homestand. Max Fried will get the start Friday night for Atlanta while the Padres will go with right-hander Matt Waldron.
Fried will make his ninth start of the season in Friday’s game and will be looking to continue his recent run of success. Fried dominated the New York Mets in his last start as he turned in seven no-hit innings to go along with five strikeouts. Fried’s has a 1.79 ERA and a 3.66 FIP over his last six starts combined. A big reason for Fried’s recent success on the mound has been his ability to get ground-ball outs. Fried currently holds a 62.9% ground-ball rate which is his highest rate since the 2017 season. Fried has had success in his career against the Padres posting a 1.67 ERA is currently 3-0 against the Padres in his career with an impressive 1.67 ERA and a 2.81 FIP in four career starts against San Diego.
Waldron is coming off a solid outing where he allowed two runs over 5 1⁄3 innings against the Dodgers. He has had an up and down season to date and will be making his first career appearance against Atlanta. Waldron won’t overpower anyone and throws a variety of pitches including an effective knuckleball.
The Braves are expected to get reliever Pierce Johnson back from the injured list on Friday. Johnson has been on the IL while dealing with inflammation in his elbow. Austin Riley missed the last three games with soreness in his side. He could return as soon as Friday’s series opener. Ronald Acuña Jr. got the day off on Wednesday, but is healthy and will be back in the lineup for the series opener.
First pitch Friday is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. ET and can be seen on Bally Sports South.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Friday, May 17, 7:20 p.m. ET
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: Ball Sports South
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan