Max Fried turned in his sharpest start in weeks on Wednesday night, allowing just three hits over seven shutout innings to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 3-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
Fried (9-4) struck out seven and walked one, lowering his ERA to 3.05. The left-hander retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced and did not allow a runner past second base after the third inning.
“Max was locked in,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “That’s the guy we need going into the break.”
Matt Olson provided all the offense Atlanta needed with a two-run homer to right field in the first inning, his 25th of the season. Marcell Ozuna added a solo shot in the fifth.
Pierce Johnson and Raisel Iglesias closed out the final two innings, with Iglesias earning his 17th save.
The win improves Atlanta to 52-42 on the season and pulls the Braves within a half-game of Philadelphia for first place in the NL East.
The two teams meet again Thursday at 6:35 p.m. at PNC Park. RHP Spencer Strider (7-5, 3.42 ERA) gets the start for Atlanta against RHP Mitch Keller (8-8, 3.79) for Pittsburgh.