Yankees 3-0 Tampa Bay Rays: Fried fries Rays in shutdown win
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Follow UsNew York Yankees 3-0 Tampa Bay Rays
Max Fried extended his remarkable season with six flawless frames, teaming with two relievers on a one-hit shutout as the New York Yankees blanked the Tampa Bay Rays 3-0 on Friday night at Yankee Stadium. The victory secured Fried’s major league-leading sixth win and further cemented the southpaw’s position as the cornerstone of a Yankees rotation still coping with early-season health setbacks.
Fried Improves to 6-0, Continues Rays Dominance
Max Fried (6-0) permitted just a single hit — a fifth-inning single from José Caballero — while racking up six strikeouts, issuing two walks, and generating 10 groundouts in another masterful display. Nearly two weeks after having a no-hitter against Tampa Bay overturned by a scoring adjustment, Fried once again handcuffed the Rays’ offense and trimmed his AL-leading ERA to an astonishing 1.01.
The Yankees have claimed victory in all seven of Fried’s appearances this campaign, including three scoreless outings, and he remains perfect following team defeats, now 4-0 with a spotless 0.00 ERA in those bounce-back assignments.
His pickoff of Christopher Morel in the second inning added to his MLB-best total of 32 pickoffs since 2017, showcasing Fried’s exceptional awareness and control on the mound.
Judge and Goldschmidt Power Offensive Attack
Aaron Judge stretched his MLB-leading on-base streak to 28 games, demonstrating his comprehensive offensive toolkit. He lashed his second triple of the year before following with a double in the sixth frame, lifting his batting average to an eye-popping .430, tops in the majors.
Judge’s extra-base production created opportunities for Paul Goldschmidt, who crushed a three-run blast into the right-field seats against Mason Montgomery. The homer — Goldschmidt’s third this season — came after Montgomery replaced starter Ryan Pepiot and missed location with an 0-1 fastball.
The Yankees’ veteran slugger now sports a .361 average, trailing only Judge, and continues ravaging left-handed pitching, hitting 17-for-29 (.586) versus southpaws this season — the highest mark in baseball.
Bullpen Seals Victory Again
Devin Williams, recently shifted from closer duties, delivered his third straight hitless appearance with a perfect eighth inning requiring just eight pitches. His resurgence in a setup role provides crucial depth to a Yankees bullpen that has responded admirably in the late innings.
Luke Weaver handled the ninth, fanning two batters in a perfect frame to secure his third save this season. New York’s relief corps has now compiled seven consecutive scoreless innings and anchored a pitching staff that’s registered three shutouts this year — all against Tampa Bay.
Yankees Maintain Mastery Over Rays
With the triumph, the Yankees improved to 14-7 and sustained their supremacy over the Rays, limiting Tampa Bay to merely three total runs during their current four-game slide. The Rays have now been blanked five times in 2025 — three courtesy of the Bronx Bombers.
Ryan Pepiot (2-4) allowed five hits and two earned runs across 4 1/3 innings in his briefest start this season. Montgomery struck out Ben Rice with five consecutive sliders before Goldschmidt capitalized on a poorly executed fastball.
Key Moment
Montgomery’s pitch selection backfired in the sixth. After relying on sliders to retire Rice, he altered his approach with Goldschmidt, offering an 0-1 fastball. Goldschmidt pounced immediately, launching it into the right-field seats to provide the Yankees a comfortable 3-0 margin.
Yankees roster
| hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | HR | BB | K | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| T. Grisham CF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.276 | 0.353 | 0.605 |
| A. Judge RF | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.43 | 0.521 | 0.777 |
| B. Rice DH | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.265 | 0.368 | 0.582 |
| P. Goldschmidt 1B | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.361 | 0.406 | 0.5 |
| C. Bellinger LF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.196 | 0.271 | 0.343 |
| A. Volpe SS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.239 | 0.333 | 0.453 |
| A. Wells C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.206 | 0.266 | 0.443 |
| O. Cabrera 3B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.28 | 0.352 | 0.341 |
| J. Vivas 2B | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.667 | 0 |
| team | 30 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| pitchers | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | HR | PC-ST | ERA |
| M. Fried(W, 6-0) | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 92-61 | 1.01 |
| D. Williams(H, 1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8-7 | 8.18 |
| L. Weaver(S, 3) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11-9 | 0 |
| team | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 111-77 |
Up Next
Saturday, May 3, 2025 — Yankee Stadium, New York
- Yankees starter: RHP Clarke Schmidt (0-1, 5.52 ERA)
- Rays starter: RHP Zack Littell (1-5, 5.03 ERA)
- First pitch: 1:05 p.m. ET
Clarke Schmidt will aim to rebound and build upon a strong bullpen performance as the Yankees seek to clinch another series victory. He’ll oppose Zack Littell, who’s hunting for stability in a struggling Tampa Bay rotation.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
- Categories: Post Game Recaps
- Tags: aaron judge, max fried, New York Yankees, Yankees vs Rays
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