Yankees’ infield flaw costs Fried a chance at history for good

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Max Fried’s brush with MLB history was undone by the Yankees’ lone defensive mistake on an otherwise stellar day.

For seven mesmerizing innings at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Sunday, Max Fried reminded the Yankees precisely why they invested $218 million in his left arm last winter. The southpaw crafted a pitching clinic against the Tampa Bay Rays, but what seemed destined to become a historic no-hitter unraveled through circumstances largely beyond his control – first by an unexpected scoring revision, then by a clean eighth-inning single.

Despite the personal disappointment, Fried’s dominance propelled the New York Yankees to a convincing 4-0 win, continuing their early-season surge while showcasing their prized acquisition’s championship pedigree.

Controversial scoring decision alters history

The pivotal moment occurred in the sixth inning when Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson hit a ground ball that first baseman Paul Goldschmidt couldn’t handle cleanly. Initially scored an error, official scorer Bill Mathews later reversed his ruling, determining that Simpson’s speed would have resulted in an infield hit regardless of Goldschmidt’s defensive execution.

This retroactive change – made shortly before Jake Mangum laced an undisputed single in the eighth – meant Fried’s no-hitter had already vanished without his knowledge. The pitcher only discovered the scoring adjustment after glancing at the scoreboard following Mangum’s hit.

“I had no idea [about the scoring change]. I looked up and saw two hits,” Fried said. “It is what it is. I’m just happy we got the win.”

Throughout his spectacular outing, Fried remained the picture of efficiency and control, working through eight scoreless frames on 102 pitches (64 strikes). He issued just two walks, recorded two strikeouts, and surrendered two hits – both resulting from circumstances that fell outside his pitching excellence.

Stepping into the Yankees ace shoes

With staff leader Gerrit Cole sidelined indefinitely by elbow trouble, Fried has seamlessly assumed the rotation’s top spot. The 30-year-old lefty improved to 4-0 while lowering his ERA to a sparkling 1.42 across five starts, validating the front office’s substantial investment in his services.

“I’m just trying to be myself,” Fried said. “When I take the ball, I just want to make sure we have a really good chance to win that day. When I prep, I just want to make sure that I’m leaving everything out there, no matter how I feel or what the circumstances are.”

Team captain Aaron Judge offered high praise for the new staff anchor.

“He’s incredible,” Judge said. “Everything that people have said about him from afar, he’s the real deal. You see it up close, especially to lose a guy like Gerrit Cole, who you can’t replace, and then you sub in Max Fried to go and be that ace for us. It’s been fun to watch.”

Defense delivers despite miscues

Though the Yankees committed three errors on the afternoon, their defense still produced several game-altering plays behind Fried. Center fielder Trent Grisham delivered perhaps the most spectacular, making a diving snag on a wind-challenged fly ball from Mangum in the fifth inning before firing to second base to double off Danny Jansen.

Later, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. raced 74 feet into shallow center to secure Christopher Morel’s popup in the seventh, temporarily preserving what everyone still believed was a no-hitter.

“I’ve been trusting this defense all year,” Fried said. “They had some unbelievable plays behind me today to be able to keep attacking those guys. It’s a lot easier when I can go out there and just hunt some contact.”

While the defense couldn’t maintain perfection, Fried’s command, varied pitch selection, and efficiency helped him navigate the Rays lineup with minimal stress. Yankees manager Aaron Boone noted that Fried’s domination came without his sharpest arsenal.

“That’s a peek at how great he is because I thought it was a grind for him,” Boone said. “I thought it took him a while to find his secondary stuff today. He only punched out two, but he just pitches so well with the fastball – sinker, four-seam, adds, subtracts, move it around.”

Workload: Fried or not?

Sunday’s performance pushed Fried to his highest pitch count this season. Before this outing, he hadn’t exceeded 98 pitches in any 2025 start. This reality added complexity to Boone’s decision-making as the potential no-hitter progressed.

“I probably wouldn’t have let him go to 120,” Boone said. “There was a conversation to be had there if he got through the eighth. I think he was a little bit gassed.”

This represented Fried’s second-longest no-hit bid professionally. Last May with Atlanta, he carried a no-hitter into the eighth against the Mets at Citi Field before being removed after 109 pitches.

Yankees building momentum

New York has now captured eight of their last eleven contests, improving to 14-8 overall. They secured three victories in the four-game set against Tampa Bay, which marked the Rays’ first regular-season visit to the Yankees’ spring training facility.

“It was a pretty crazy series,” Bellinger said. “Max just came out and did his thing and pitched into the eighth inning. Playing behind him is special, man. He’s got some really good stuff, and we’re playing really good as a team right now. It’s fun to be a part of.”

For Fried and the Yankees, the day demonstrated that excellence doesn’t require historical perfection – just the continued dominance that has quickly established him as the team’s new pitching cornerstone.

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