While the New York Yankees shattered franchise records with nine home runs in Saturday’s 20-9 demolition of the Milwaukee Brewers, newly acquired southpaw Max Fried endured a debut that fell short of expectations at Yankee Stadium.

The prized left-hander lasted just 4 2/3 innings in his pinstriped premiere, surrendering six runs — though only two earned — alongside seven hits and two walks while recording four strikeouts. A combination of defensive miscues and command issues prevented Fried from qualifying for the victory in what should have been a comfortable outing.

“It wasn’t a clean game,” Fried admitted after the game. “I would’ve loved to [qualify for the win], but there were a lot of things throughout the outing that I didn’t do my part in to be able to earn that. Adding a bunch of pitches, the PFP [error] in the second inning added a bunch of pitches. I walked a bunch of guys.”

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Promising beginning gives way to mounting pitch count

Fried initially appeared poised for success, inducing a weak comebacker on his first pitch and navigating a scoreless opening frame. His teammates immediately staked him to a 4-0 advantage when Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, and Aaron Judge launched consecutive home runs off former Yankee Nestor Cortes.

The momentum shifted in the second inning, however. After two singles and a hit batter loaded the bases, shortstop Anthony Volpe‘s errant throw allowed a run to cross. Moments later, Fried compounded the troubles with his own defensive lapse, firing an off-target throw to first on a routine comebacker that resulted in another Brewers run and elevated his pitch count significantly.

Yankees are having a defensive meltdown in the second inning pic.twitter.com/vJLbFke4Q7

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) March 29, 2025

The defensive woes continued in the fourth and fifth innings with errors from third baseman Pablo Reyes and second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. By the time manager Aaron Boone retrieved Fried with two outs in the fifth, the Yankees held a commanding 16-6 lead, but the left-hander had exhausted 94 pitches.

Offense overshadows Fried

As Fried battled through his challenging debut, the Yankees‘ offense delivered a historic performance. Their nine home runs established a new single-game franchise record, beginning with the opening-inning trifecta and continuing throughout the afternoon.

Aaron Judge headlined the power surge with three home runs, including a grand slam. Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe, Jazz Chisholm, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt each contributed to the record-setting barrage.

The offensive explosion effectively masked Fried’s struggles on the scoreboard, though it couldn’t completely obscure the defensive lapses that extended his innings.

Teammates rally behind new rotation leader

“He did great. There were a few plays that we could’ve made behind him,” Goldschmidt observed. “He did a good job staying focused and just continuing to attack them. It wasn’t a perfect outing, by any means. We kind of hurt him on defense a couple of times… It just showed a lot about his character, the type of pitcher he is to not give in.”

Fried’s composure while working through extended innings and lengthy offensive breaks demonstrated the veteran presence the Yankees sought when acquiring him. The 30-year-old southpaw is expected to anchor New York’s rotation following Gerrit Cole’s season-ending elbow surgery.

The two-time All-Star established himself as one of baseball’s premier left-handers over six seasons with Atlanta, compiling a 3.08 ERA that ranked among the top three starters with at least 800 innings during that span. The Yankees anticipate a swift adjustment as Fried settles into his role as rotation cornerstone.

Boone on Fried’s day out: ‘It’s hard to get a read on the outing’

“Obviously we didn’t catch the ball great, that’s an understatement,” manager Aaron Boone acknowledged. “Probably not his best command, hitting a couple of guys. As great of a fielder as he is, he didn’t make a play. I thought overall he threw the ball fine, we’re just giving way too many outs. It’s hard to get a read on the outing, but I thought stuff-wise, he threw the ball well.”

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Fried will make his second Yankees start Friday in Pittsburgh as the team opens a weekend series against the Pirates. With consecutive victories to begin the 2025 season, New York’s offense has proven formidable, but improved defensive execution and starting pitching efficiency will determine whether they can maintain their early momentum.

Fried, meanwhile, has already turned his attention forward.

“If I wanted to be able to earn [the win], I should’ve done a lot more earlier in the game,” he reflected.