In his return to the mound after a stint on the injured list, Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried added to the misery currently being felt by San Diego Padres fans.
Fried, activated from the injured list before the game after suffering a hamstring injury in his Opening Day start against the Washington Nationals, looked solid on Monday night at Petco Park, limiting San Diego’s offense to four hits over 5.0 innings of work while also striking out four. Fried and three other Atlanta pitchers paced the Braves to a 2-0 shutout on Monday night in the opener of the three-game series in San Diego.
Braves pitching adds to frustration for Padres fans
With San Diego starting off 8-10 after such high expectations entering the season, plenty of Padres fans are voicing their opinions about their team’s play. Manny Machado and other members of the Padres are hearing the boos and taunts loud and clear, and Machado went as far as to issue a warning to those fans who are already saying the 2023 season is over.
“I’d rather this happen now than down the road,” Manny Machado said of the offense’s slow start.
And for anyone who would read too much into 18 games:
“It’s just: Don’t jump on the bandwagon later on when we start f—ing raking and we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing.”
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) April 18, 2023
The Padres have now been shut out in back-to-back contests and have scored four or less runs in seven of their last eight games.
With the lack of offensive production, San Diego has lost five of its last six games while, with the win, the Braves own the National League’s best record at 13-4. It’s a case of teams currently trending in the opposite direction. However, the current skid has clouded the memory of San Diego fans as the Padres won three of four games in Atlanta just over a week ago. Yes, three of Atlanta’s four losses of the season came to San Diego, showing that this team can certainly win, even on the road against the toughest opponents.
While Atlanta was boosted by the return of Fried on Monday night, the Padres are already looking forward to their next series in Arizona beginning on Thursday as Fernando Tatis Jr. and Joe Musgrove are both expected to make their season debuts against the Diamondbacks.