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Max Fried Sends Strong Message After Shohei Ohtani's Historic Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rex Villas | Last updated May 31, 2025 7:11 AM ET

Max Fried’s record with the New York Yankees is no longer unblemished. In Friday’s heavyweight series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Fried got lit up by Shohei Ohtani and company for six runs.

Fried surrendered eight hits with three strikeouts in five innings of work on the mound, as the Yankees ended up suffering an 8-5 loss.

Aaron Judge gave Fried early run support with a monster 446-foot home run in the first inning, but Shohei Ohtani answered that in the bottom of the same frame, launching a solo 417-foot dinger to tie the score at 1-1.

The Yankees provided more runs behind Fried, as they entered the sixth inning leading by three runs.

But Fried ran into trouble in the sixth frame, where Ohtani hit another home run off the Yankees ace. The reigning National League Most Valuable Player also became the first player in the modern era of MLB to have at least 60 runs before June, thanks to his big night versus New York.

Fried admitted the obvious following the game.

"I just didn't do my job," Fried said after picking up his first loss in a Yankees uniform (h/.t Gary Phillips of NY Daily News).

"I'm a competitor," added Fried. "I want to go out there and win. So the fact that we had a lead and I gave it up a couple times, it's not going to sit well with me."

Despite the loss and the runs he gave up to the Dodgers, Fried still owns a sparkling 7-1 record to go with a 1.92 ERA and a 0.94 ERA through 12 starts in the 2025 MLB regular season.

The loss snapped the Yankees’ five-game win streak and dropped them to 35-21. They will look to rebound this Saturday, with Will Warren expected to toe the rubber for New York opposite Dodgers pitcher Landon Knack.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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