Yankees Make Disastrous Max Fried Decision in Wild Card Meltdown
The New York Yankees' first Wild Card game featured six strong innings from Max Fried, followed by three strong innings of Max Fried looking increasingly nervous in the dugout.
In the top of the seventh, after 6 1/3 innings and 102 pitches, Yankees starter Fried was replaced by reliever Luke Weaver, who promptly gave up two runs to the Boston Red Sox, securing a Sox lead that held for the rest of the game. Despite Fried's strong outing, he felt he had more to give, and it might have saved them from the predicament they're in now.
Fried Responds
"I definitely exerted a lot of energy trying to get out of that, but I definitely had enough in the tank for whatever the team needed," Fried said in a postgame interview. "But you know, Boone was confident to be able to give the ball to Weave in that situation."
Fried was asked whether he would have liked to stay in the game longer.
"I mean, I'm going to stay in until I get the ball taken from me," Fried said. "I want to pitch as long as I possibly can, and when the ball gets taken out of my hands, yeah. It is what it is."
Fans on social media joked that surely Fried will be sufficiently rested for his next start, in March 2026. Others noted that Boone should not have pulled Fried, erring on the side of winning the game instead of keeping the pitch count as low as possible.
On the other side of things, Sox starter Garrett Crochet was praised by Yankees superstar Aaron Judge for an unbelievable outing, which he was permitted to take into the eighth inning to secure a win for the Red Sox.
"He's the best pitcher in the game," Judge said. The high-stakes showdown between Judge's offensive prowess and Crochet's pitching power was highly anticipated, and sufficiently suspenseful all the way through.
The Yankees are expected to start Carlos Rodón for the second game, and if they're lucky enough to secure a third, they are expected to start Cam Schlittler.
Packers Cut Rookie After He Vanishes Without a Trace Post-Cowboys Clash
Green Bay, WI — In a jaw-dropping move that has stunned Packers Nation, the Green Bay Packers have officially parted ways with rookie offensive lineman
Sources inside the organization revealed that Banks failed to report back to the team facility after the game, leaving coaches and teammates blindsided. In a league where accountability is everything, the Packers wasted no time making a decisive call.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur didn’t sugarcoat his frustration when asked about the shocking decision:
“If you can’t show up for your team, you don’t belong in Green Bay. The Packers are built on discipline and accountability — and anyone who walks away without explanation has no place in this locker room. That’s the bottom line.”
Fans immediately flooded social media with mixed reactions — some praising the no-nonsense stance from LaFleur, while others expressed disappointment that a promising rookie career ended in chaos before it could even begin.
Aaron Banks, a high-potential prospect expected to compete for a larger role this season, now leaves Lambeau Field with more questions than answers. NFL insiders are already speculating on whether another team will take a chance on him, or if his sudden disappearance has damaged his future in the league beyond repair.
For the Packers, the message is crystal clear: this franchise doesn’t tolerate distractions. With their sights locked on a playoff run, Matt LaFleur has made it clear that Green Bay values loyalty, responsibility, and commitment above all else.
Packers Nation is left asking — what really happened to Aaron Banks after that Cowboys game? And will this stunning exit only serve to strengthen Green Bay’s locker room resolve moving forward?
