Yankees’ Max Fried after latest rough start: ‘have to change something’

ST. LOUIS — The Yankees won the battle Saturday night, but they may well lose the war if Max Fried keeps pitching like this.

The left-hander turned in another rough start in an eight-game stretch of them, though his offense picked him up for what became a 12-8 win over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

Fried got tagged for seven runs on eight hits across five-plus innings, continuing a concerning trend for the pitcher who often dominated like the Yankees ace across the first three months of the season.

“I definitely have to change something and change it up quick,” Fried said.

After throwing seven innings of one-run ball on June 25 in Cincinnati, Fried had a 1.92 ERA through 17 starts.

In eight starts since, he has been knocked around to the tune of a 6.80 ERA, looking little like the pitcher he was for most of the first half.

“Just haven’t been sharp,” said Fried, who battled a blister in July but insisted Saturday he is now fully healthy. “Haven’t had the good results. When you got to go out there and have good outings, I haven’t been able to do that. I’m working hard in between to try to make the best adjustments I can. They haven’t really been showing, but we’re here to win games. Really fortunate today that they put up 12 runs to be able to cover me. But I know going forward, I got to be way better.”

After giving up a three-run shot to Masyn Winn in the second inning, Fried found a groove in which he retired 11 of 12 — something the Yankees hope he can build off of — though his outing still ended on a sour note as he gave up a two-run shot to Nolan Gorman in the sixth inning.

Walks have been an issue for Fried during this stretch, though he only issued one on Saturday while striking out six (including his 1,000th career strikeout).

But the Yankees need him to snap out of this funk altogether if they are going to get to where they want to go.

“Even the elite-level pitchers go through things like this at times,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He’ll get there. He’ll get through it. There’s nothing wrong with him. Physically he’s in a good spot, stuff’s there. It’s just another level of execution. You’re kind of going through it a little bit, so you’re mentally fighting yourself. There’s no alarming, ‘Oh his stuff’s down,’ or, ‘What’s wrong with this?’ He’s too good to not get through it.”