The New York Yankees entered Thursday's game against the Baltimore Orioles needing a win. Aaron Boone's team is already preparing for the playoffs , but they have not given up on the American League East yet. The Yankees are within arm's reach of the Toronto Blue Jays for the top spot, even without Gerrit Cole in the mix. A big reason for that is the excellence of Max Fried .

New York general manager Brian Cashman signed Fried in order to upgrade his starting rotation. Cole's season-ending injury pushed Fried into an ace role before the regular season began. While a lot of pitchers would have crumbled under the pressure, Fried met the challenge and passed it with flying colors. He wrapped up his regular season by notching a new career-high.

The Orioles have struggled mightily thro

See Full Page