Fried Dominates, Judge Stays Hot as Giants Take 2–0 Lead

Sammy Linedriv - TABL Beat Writer

The New York Giants keep finding new ways to make the game look simple. On Sunday night, they relied on precision pitching, patient hitting, and just enough power to quiet a restless Dallas crowd, taking Game Two of their playoff series 6–2 and pushing their lead to two games to none as the series shifts to New York.

Left-hander Max Fried was the author of the evening’s calm. From his very first pitch, he looked poised and unhurried, a man in control of both tempo and tone. Over 6⅔ innings, Fried scattered five hits and struck out six, his only blemish a two-run homer from Shea Langeliers in the fourth.

The swing briefly trimmed New York’s lead, but Fried didn’t flinch. He retired 10 of the next 12 batters he faced, letting the game flow back to his rhythm.

New York struck early, as it so often has this postseason. In the opening frame, Aaron Judge singled and came around to score on Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s soft liner to left. By the fourth, the Giants were stringing together hits with surgical precision, Luis Rengifo’s RBI double followed by Matt Chapman’s single stretched the lead to 3–0.

Langeliers’ home run in the bottom of the fourth gave the home crowd a flicker of hope, but Judge quickly dimmed it. In the fifth, he unloaded on a 1–1 fastball, sending a solo shot into the Dallas night, his second home run in as many games, and restoring the cushion to 4–2.

From there, the Giants’ offense kept humming. Rengifo and Judge each added RBI singles late, padding the lead to 6–2 and closing the book on Dallas ace Seth Lugo’s night. Lugo lasted six innings, allowing four runs on eight hits, his command never quite matching his competitiveness. The Bucks’ bullpen, Erick Fedde and Justin Martinez, couldn’t stop the bleeding.

While Dallas got production from Amed Rosario and Langeliers, and a pair of hits from Anthony Volpe, their bats again came up short. After managing seven hits in Game One, they finished this one with just five, none after the sixth inning.

For New York, it was another display of balance and belief. Fried earned the win, with Manuel Rodriguez and Danny Lee combining for 2⅓ scoreless innings in relief.

The Giants head home with all the momentum — a two-game lead, their rotation lined up, and their captain swinging like a man on a mission. Game Three will take place Tuesday night in New York, where the Bucks will try to slow down a team that, so far, hasn’t missed a beat. W – Fried (1–0)

L – Lugo (0–2)

SV – None

HR – Judge (NYG), Langeliers (DAL)