The New York Yankees endured another frustrating afternoon Sunday, falling 7-1 to the Houston Astros in a lifeless performance.
They entered the game needing ace-level dominance from Max Fried, but the left-hander’s downward trend continued in alarming fashion.
Fried lasted just five innings, allowing eight hits and four earned runs while striking out only three Houston batters.
His ERA now sits at 2.94, but that number hides the dramatic decline since his red-hot early-season form.
From elite start to alarming decline
In April, Fried was nearly untouchable, posting a microscopic 0.82 ERA and overpowering hitters with sharp command and movement.
He followed that with a 2.65 ERA in May and an even stronger 1.91 ERA across June’s starts.
July, however, marked a turning point, as his ERA ballooned to 5.54 amid rising hard contact and diminished swing-and-miss rates.
August has been worse, with a staggering 7.20 ERA hinting that his early dominance has vanished at the worst possible time.
The reverse of the Gerrit Cole formula
Fried’s season arc has been the opposite of what the Yankees often saw from Gerrit Cole before his injury.
Cole traditionally starts the season slowly before peaking in late summer and entering October in dominant playoff-ready form.
Fried instead began with his best work, only to fade badly just as the Yankees’ postseason push is intensifying.
It’s a troubling reversal that leaves New York’s rotation in flux as the pressure mounts over the next two months.
Offense offers little support
Even if Fried had been sharper, the Yankees’ offense gave him almost no margin for error against Houston’s staff.
They have been the sixth-worst offensive team in baseball since the All-Star break, a shocking drop for such a talented lineup.
Despite heavy financial investment and multiple All-Star caliber hitters, run production has evaporated in key moments far too often.
The lack of timely hitting has left pitchers with razor-thin margins, and Fried’s recent struggles only magnify the issue.
Urgency building for a turnaround
The Yankees don’t have the luxury of waiting for Fried to gradually rediscover his form over several more outings.
With the postseason race tightening, they need him to immediately revert to the ace-level command he showed in early 2025.
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A strong rebound could help stabilize the rotation, especially with Gerrit Cole sidelined for the season after Tommy John surgery.
If Fried can’t reverse course, New York risks watching its season slip away as the offense remains mired in mediocrity.
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