Max Fried has a baby due any day. The New York Yankees' season might not last that long.
Fried confirmed Tuesday that his family is expecting. Then he made it clear the baby won't change his pitching schedule. He'll start Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, whatever happens at home.
Asked whether he would pitch regardless of the baby's arrival, Fried didn't hedge.
He kept the rest private.
"I'd not like to get too into the personal stuff," Fried said, "but yeah it's true."
The Rays lead the best-of-five series 2-0 and the Yankees are one loss away from elimination. New York has five hits total in the first two games.
Drew Rasmussen held them to one hit over eight innings in a 1-0
Game 1 loss. That was the fewest hits in any of the Yankees' 447 postseason games. Game 2 at Tropicana Field was better at the plate but disastrous behind starter Cam Schlittler. Ben Rice hit two solo home runs, and was the Yankees' entire offense. Behind their presumptive AL Cy Young Award winner, the Yankees made four errors and bunch of other mistakes. They had three errors in the first four batters and lost 5-2.
Aaron Judge isn't going to save them. He's not on the ALDS roster while he works his way back from a right calf strain.
So Fried is going to have to hold off the Rays and hope the offense can catch up in the Bronx.
He's focused on that even while his world is changing.
"I've got a really supportive family that understands this is my job, and it's not going to affect what happens tomorrow," he said on Tuesday's Zoom press conference. He also understands he's on a short leash because the consequences are so high.
"There's nothing else to save anything for," Fried said. "So for me, I understand that the leash is probably going to be pretty small, and we have to do whatever we can to win.
Pitching coach Matt Blake said Fried would get "some runway." He didn't promise much more.
"You're not just going to leave Max out there to get to 100 pitches," Blake said.
Behind Fried, almost everyone is available.
Gerrit Cole held the Rays to one run over five innings Saturday night in Game 1. After Monday's loss, he volunteered to pitch in relief. Carlos Rodon is lined up to start Game 4, and he might be in play too. Aaron Boone said they almost pitched Rodon in Game 3 because he had the hot hand down the stretch, including a strong start against this Rays' lineup.
Closer David Bednar could be asked for four to six outs, Blake said, as long as he stays under 40 pitches or so.
Fried went 5-5 with a 2.80 ERA in 20 starts this season around two stints on the injured list. Against the Rays, he was 0-1 with a 4.30 ERA in two starts.
He's taking Wednesday's start as his responsibility to turn things around after Monday night's embarrassing loss.
"It's important to have a little bit of pride and be able to say that's not us and we're going to prove it," he said. "And I know that everyone tomorrow is going to have that same feeling, that we're still a really great team and we expect to win."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Expecting baby any day, Yankees' Max Fried will start do-or-die game no matter what
