All yr lengthy, Max Fried was the Yankees’ stopper.
In 16 regular-season begins that adopted a Yankees loss, Fried went 11-1 with a 1.82 ERA. The Yankees gained 12 of these video games.
However Fried faltered Sunday in Recreation 2 of the ALDS, delivering his worst begin in almost two months in a 13-7 loss to Toronto Blue Jays that left the Yankees getting ready to elimination.
The Blue Jays tagged Fried for seven runs in 3+ innings at Toronto’s Rogers Centre, rallying for eight hits and two walks in opposition to the Yankees’ ace.
The Yankees had hoped to even the ALDS behind Fried after their 10-1 loss in Recreation 1. As an alternative, they return to the Bronx in an 0-2 gap within the best-of-five sequence.
“They obviously had a really good approach,” Fried stated. “They were on a lot of my pitches. Credit to them, I didn’t get it done. It’s frustrating, especially coming out in a game like this.”
With the back-to-back blowout losses, the Yankees set doubtful franchise historical past. The 23 runs are essentially the most the Yankees have ever allowed over a two-game span within the playoffs.
Sunday’s barrage started when Fried surrendered a two-run residence run to Ernie Clement — a local of Rochester, N.Y. — within the second inning.
The highest-seeded Blue Jays remained relentless within the third with a run-scoring groundout by Alejandro Kirk, an RBI double by Daulton Varsho and an RBI single by Clement.
Fried exited the sport with out recording an out within the fourth, and his last two baserunners scored when Will Warren served up a grand slam to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
“[Fried] didn’t seem to have the same command,” supervisor Aaron Boone stated. “Probably not getting pitches to where he wanted to get them. Life and everything seemed fine. They obviously had some hard contact. They were able to find some holes with their contact. Just not his sharpest.”
Chris Younger/The Canadian Press by way of AP
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a grand slam in Recreation 2. (Chris Younger/The Canadian Press by way of AP)
It was a far cry from Fried’s current run of excellence, because the left-hander entered Sunday with a 6-0 file and a 1.37 ERA over his earlier eight begins, together with the postseason.
“I pride myself on being able to change speeds and keep guys off-balance,” Fried stated. “And they weren’t off-balance today.”
Warren, a rookie starter working out of the bullpen, wasn’t significantly better, as he gave up six runs in 4.2 innings.
“That’s the spot that he’s got a chance to be successful in, to keep it a game there,” Boone stated of changing Fried with Warren. “We’re going to take our shot there with Will. It’s already [5-0 with two] runners out there. He’s on this team for that.”
Warren allowed 4 residence runs, together with one to George Springer and two to Varsho. The Blue Jays totaled 5 homers on Sunday and boast eight by means of the primary two video games of the sequence.
The Yankees trailed 12-0 after 5 innings.
The 23 runs scored by Toronto are essentially the most ever by a workforce in its first two video games of a postseason, whereas the 20 runs the Blue Jays scored in between Yankee runs in Video games 1 and a couple of additionally set a playoff file.
Fried, 31, went 19-5 with a 2.86 ERA within the common season, his first since becoming a member of the Yankees on an eight-year, $218 million contract.
In his first postseason begin as a Yankee final week, Fried hurled 6.1 scoreless innings in opposition to the Boston Pink Sox in Recreation 1 of the Wild Card spherical. Fried took a no-decision in that sport, nevertheless, because the Yankees’ bullpen blew a one-run lead after he exited.
Fried, who starred for the Atlanta Braves of their clinching sport of the 2021 World Collection, now has a 5.31 ERA in 22 postseason appearances, together with 14 begins.
Sunday’s sport was the second in a row by which the Yankees’ starter failed to provide them size, as Luis Gil lasted solely 2.1 innings in Recreation 1.
The early exits by Gil and Fried required the Yankees’ bullpen to get a complete of 32 outs on Saturday and Sunday, and that’s with out both sport requiring a backside of the ninth.
The Yankees now flip to Carlos Rodón for Recreation 3 on Tuesday evening to maintain their season alive. Rodón went 18-9 with a 3.09 ERA within the common season, then took a no-decision after permitting three runs in 6+ innings in Recreation 2 of the Wild Card spherical.
Shane Bieber, the 2020 American League Cy Younger Award winner, is ready to start out for the Blue Jays.
“We’re going home,” Warren stated. “They’re coming to our place, and it’s going to be different. We’re a good team. We know we have to do. Just handle business at home.”
Initially Printed: October 5, 2025 at 7:36 PM EDT
