Deadspin | Max Fried, Yankees aim to spoil Pirates' home opener

Mar 29, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried (54) pitches in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Max Fried will make his second start for the New York Yankees against the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday afternoon as he looks for a better outing than he had in his team and season debut.

The Friday game will be the home opener for the Pirates, who went a combined 2-5 in a season-opening road trip that featured series against the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays.

Although the game Fried started turned out to be historic for the Yankees, who hit a franchise-record nine home runs in a 20-9 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, he struggled at times and lasted only 4 2/3 innings. Fried (0-0, 3.86 ERA) allowed six runs, although only two were earned due to five errors committed by the Yankees.

“I was in and out of rhythm,” Fried said. “When your teammates support you and give you 16 runs in the first four innings, you’ve just got to be able to get as many outs as you possibly can.”

Fried is 3-1 with a 4.28 ERA in seven career starts against the Pirates and is 1-1 with a 6.86 ERA in four starts at Pittsburgh.

The Pirates will hand the ball to Mitch Keller (1-0, 1.50 ERA), who picked up the win in his season debut against the Marlins on March 28. Keller was consistent throughout the first start of his seventh season with Pittsburgh, giving up only one run on five hits and one walk and striking out four over six innings.

Keller has faced the Yankees only once in his career. He lost that outing on July 6, 2022, at Pittsburgh when he allowed four runs on 10 hits and struck out seven in six innings.

The 28-year-old right-hander faces a major challenge when he takes the mound on Friday, trying to slow down arguably the hottest lineup in baseball.

Aaron Judge continues to be a huge part of that surge with five home runs and 15 RBIs in his first six games. Judge hit his latest long ball in the Yankees’ 9-7 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, a victory that followed back-to-back New York losses to open the three-game series.

Judge became the second player in major league history, along with Babe Ruth in 1932, to hit five or more homers and total 15 or more RBIs through his first six games since RBIs became a stat in 1920. Judge also became the third-fastest Yankee to collect his 500th extra-base hit, doing it in his 999th career game.

Things have not gone as planned for the Pirates, whom manager Derek Shelton said he expected to be ready to make a playoff push. Pittsburgh snapped a four-game skid with a 4-2 win against the Rays on Wednesday, but the team has scored only 19 runs in seven games despite stealing 19 bases. Oneil Cruz leads the majors with six steals, and Isaiah Kiner-Falefa has four.

The Pirates’ bullpen has also struggled, as was evident in the opening series against the Marlins, during which they endured three walk-off losses.

“It feels like we’ve been in Florida a long time — and I live here,” Shelton said after his team dropped two of three to the Rays. “I think it’s going to be nice to get home to Pittsburgh, and I think we’re looking forward to seeing our fans.”

The Pirates added outfielder Alexander Canario to their active roster Thursday, optioned infielder/outfielder Ji Hwan Bae to Triple-A Indianapolis and traded catcher Jason Delay to the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations.

–Field Level Media