Pressure is On For Struggling Yankees Starter

The New York Yankees kicked off their high-stakes showdown with the Boston Red Sox with a 6-3 loss. In game two, they'll hope to regain their footing, and they'll need starting pitcher Max Fried to be in fighting form.

Fried, whose first half earned him an All Star selection, has struggled mightily in recent weeks.

“At this point, every game I pitch, I’m trying to get on track again so that I’m pitching to my standards and what I’m capable of,’’ Fried said before the first game of this series, per the New York Post. “We’ve been playing really good baseball as a team. For me, it’s my tim e to start lifting my load and being able to do my part.”

“It’s definitely frustrating. I want to be able to take the ball and put us in a good position to win every time and I haven’t been able to do that. I have to understand that I’ve got to do something different. We’re in the business of getting it done and I’ve just got to figure out how to get those results.”

Fried had an outstanding 1.92 ERA after the first two months of the season. A new addition to the Yankees this season, Fried had enjoyed an impressive career with the Atlanta Braves from 2017-2024, earning two previous All Star selections (2022, 2024) and a World Series win in 2021. With his resume and talents, the 31-year-old lefty knows what he's capable of, but may be fighting an internal battle at the moment.