Yankees Look to Bounce Back Against Rays with Max Fried on the Mound

The New York Yankees are in a bit of a tailspin, having dropped three consecutive games, including two at home against the Athletics and a disappointing opener against the Rays in St. Petersburg last night. However, there’s a silver lining for the Yankees as they send their ace, Max Fried, to the mound tonight. Unfortunately, while Fried is a force on the pitching front, he won’t be able to contribute offensively, and the rest of the team has struggled at the plate as well.

This evening’s matchup marks Fried’s fourth start of the season. Coming off what was his least effective outing yet, Fried still managed to hold his own by allowing three runs over 6.2 innings against the Marlins in a close 7-6 loss. Over the course of 20 innings this season, he has been effective in varying his pitches, which has helped him minimize hard contact. Fried has utilized his four-seamer, sinker, cutter, curve, change, and sweeper in a balanced manner, throwing each pitch between 10 and 23 percent of the time. As a result, opponents have struggled to find their rhythm, with their average exit velocity and hard-hit percentage showing concerning numbers on Statcast.

On the other side of the diamond, the Rays will counter with veteran right-hander Nick Martinez, who is making his third start of the season. Like Fried, Martinez has showcased a diverse pitching arsenal, featuring six different pitches, and his results have been impressive as well. Over 12 innings pitched, he has posted a 2.25 ERA, and Statcast numbers indicate he’s been equally effective. One standout statistic is Martinez’s ability to limit walks—he has issued only one free pass this season, although he has recorded just seven strikeouts. This could lead to plenty of balls in play, which may heighten the drama tonight.

However, even if Fried pitches well, it may not matter if the Yankees’ lineup continues to falter. The bottom of the batting order has been particularly weak, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. leading this group with a dismal .469 OPS. To make matters worse, the top of the lineup has also been underperforming, aside from Ben Rice and Giancarlo Stanton, who has yet to showcase his power. Cody Bellinger has managed only four hits in his last seven games, while Aaron Judge has hit just one home run during that stretch. In total, the Yankees are struggling with a .199 team batting average through 13 games and have scored only five runs in their last three outings.

Tonight presents an opportunity for the Yankees to turn things around. A couple of strong innings could ignite their offense and provide a much-needed boost.

How to Watch:
Location: Tropicana Field — St. Petersburg, FL
First Pitch: 6:10 pm EDT
TV Broadcast: YES/Rays.TV
Radio Broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 / WDAE 95.7 FM, WQBN/1300AM
Online Stream: MLB Network (out-of-market-only)

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.