The Atlanta Braves are already nine games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the NL East lead.
They could, however, start erasing some of that huge deficit if they are competitive against one of the best teams in the American League, the Baltimore Orioles, in an upcoming series.
Fortunately for Atlanta, they get to send their best and most consistent pitcher, Max Fried, to the mound on Tuesday night.
Fried has been able to overcome a horrible start of the season and is now absolutely cooking.
MLB Network shows us the numbers behind his last three starts, stats that paint the picture of a truly dominant pitcher with the motivation of playing for his next contract.
“Max Fried’s last 3 starts 7 IP, 2 ER, 13 K (W); 8 IP, 0 ER, 6 K (W); 9 IP, 1 ER, 9 K (W),” they tweeted.
Max Fried’s last 3 starts ♨️
7 IP, 2 ER, 13 K (W)8 IP, 0 ER, 6 K (W)9 IP, 1 ER, 9 K (W)
Predictions for the southpaw tonight in Baltimore? pic.twitter.com/vx5vQCtJxH
Fried has thrown a whopping 24 frames in his last three outings.
In an era in which starting pitchers rarely crack five or six innings, having a Fried in your rotation is a huge boost.
Not only has he been durable in recent games, he has been truly dominant with just three earned runs allowed in those 24 innings.
Fried has taken his season ERA to an excellent 2.93 in 73.2 innings.
The Orioles, however, represent a tough test for him.
The O’s lead the league with 336 runs scored as of Tuesday afternoon, so yes: Fried will have his hands full.
If there is someone with the talent and the momentum to stop the O’s imposing lineup, however, it’s definitely Fried.