And when those pitches are all working?

Well, it becomes rather impossible for hitters — especially the Marlins, who entered batting .199 versus left-handers, which was the third-worst mark in the sport.

“Yeah, I mean, because hitters can’t cover all types of different pitches,” Duvall said. “If you can command five, it’s just so hard if you’re hitting 0-1, 0-2 every time. And when he can flip the breaking ball in for a strike backdoor, guys are not gonna swing at that — they’re just not. Because out of the hand, it’s a ball. When he can do that and work ahead with his other pitches, it’s gonna be a long night for the other team and a short night for him.”

The Braves didn’t have to warm up any relievers.

“He never gave us a reason to,” Snitker said.

— 4. As Fried dazzled, his offense did its job. Duvall gave Fried and the Braves comfortable breathing room to allow this special night — the first nine-inning shutout since Bryce Elder in Washington in September 2022 — to happen.

Facing Marlins starter Trevor Rogers in the bottom of the sixth, Duvall hit a first-pitch slider slightly below the zone for a two-run homer.

When Duvall faced Rogers in the past, the lefty would use his fastball up in the zone. But this time around, Rogers tried to pound the bottom of the zone — perhaps, Duvall theorized, so his change-up could work off the heater down in the zone.

“I don’t necessarily want to start looking down there, but every now and then, you gotta go get one if you want him to stop throwing it,” Duvall said.

And this time, he did. It sailed over the wall in left field.

— 5. As Fried sputtered, struggling to gain his footing to begin the season, this possibility — the one that played out Tuesday — always existed. Fried, despite anything, always seemed destined to return to form.

“You see the focus and the intensity in his work, especially on game day,” Duvall said. “He’s just so locked in. He’ll start preparing for his next start tomorrow — whether he’s in the dugout talking with the catchers (or doing other things). He’s preparing for his next start as soon as this one’s over. And then when he comes in on game day, there’s this intensity and focus about him that just keeps him locked in.”

In two starts versus the Marlins this season, Fried has allowed one run in 15 1/3 innings. No, two outings against the six-win Marlins don’t mean Fried is officially back.

But Tuesday was the best he’s looked all season.

He had it all working.

“Everything,” d’Arnaud said.

Stat to know

32 — Fried’s gem was the 32nd Maddux in Braves history. They date back to, well, before Maddux, as Vern Bickford first threw a shutout in under 100 pitches on Aug. 11, 1950. Since then, 13 others have done it, including Fried, Maddux and Glavine.

Quotable

“Absolutely. There’s no doubt. He’s just kind of been trending in the right direction, to me, for, like, all of the last three starts, really.” — Snitker on whether he feels Fried is turning the corner after a rough start to the season

Up next

Braves right-hander Reynaldo López — statistically the club’s best starter to this point — will start Wednesday’s finale against Miami, which begins at 7:20 p.m.

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