SAN DIEGO (AP) — Atlanta Braves left-hander Max Fried and San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove exited early because of injuries Wednesday night in Game 2 of their NL Wild Card Series. Fried, who can become a free agent after the World Series, was done after two innings in what could be his final start for Atlanta. He was hit on his left hip by a comebacker from Fernando Tatis Jr.
two batters into his outing. Fried stayed in and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first, but then allowed five runs on six straight hits with two outs in the second. “It was his hip,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
“As the inning wore on it affected him. The longer he was out there, the worse he got.” Dylan Lee took over to begin the third inning, but the damage was done.
Atlanta's comeback fell short and the banged-up Braves were eliminated as the Padres completed a two-game sweep with a 5-4 victory. Musgrove threw two slow curveballs to fall behind 2-1 on Matt Olson with two outs in the fourth and was visited by pitching coach Ruben Niebla. Padres manager Mike Shildt and an athletic trainer joined them, and Musgrove came out.
The team announced he had right elbow tightness. Musgrove said it was “frustrating. I want to be out there and finish the job.
This is the last thing I want in my first postseason outing, but that’s just the reality of it. It’s coming at a bad time, but I’ll address it, I’ll find the best possible path to get back and do my best to get back here .
