TAMPA – With the Yankees closing out a four-game collection towards the Rays inside the intimate confines of their very own spring coaching complicated, Max Fried practically despatched followers of each groups dwelling with a reminiscence they’d always remember.
The left-hander, simply 5 begins into his Yankees profession, took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning of Sunday’s 4-0 win at Steinbrenner Area. Nonetheless, as he toed the rubber within the eighth, a Yankees error from earlier within the day was modified to a success by the Rays’ official scorer, Invoice Mathews.
The play in query got here within the sixth inning when the blazing Chandler Simpson hit a smooth grounder to Paul Goldschmidt at first. The pace demon seemed like he was going to beat Fried to first base with ease, however Goldschmidt booted the ball and was initially charged with an error, thus retaining the no-no intact in the meanwhile.
Nonetheless, as Fried took the mound with six outs to go, Mathews introduced within the press field that the play had been modified to a single, because it was “very apparent” Simpson would have received the race to the bottom just a few innings earlier.
Requested for additional rationalization, Mathews mentioned, “I made a decision.” Given a number of alternatives to clarify a bit extra, he remained silent.
“Look, we’re not gonna beat [Simpson] to the bag,” supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned, noting he didn’t have an issue with the change taking so lengthy. “So I get it, but it makes it a little bit dicey when it’s within the game or, obviously, with a no-hitter going on. But the reality is, it was a hit.”
Fried, who allowed a leadoff single to Jake Mangum to begin the eighth, additionally didn’t make a fuss over the change. Neither the southpaw nor Boone knew about it till after the very fact.
“I don’t think Max cares about that kind of stuff,” Aaron Choose mentioned. “He’s worried about going out there, helping the team, helping us win. He pitched a heckuva game, so I think he’s happy coming away with the win.”
Fried truly didn’t discover out concerning the scoring change till he exited the sport. He totaled 7.2 innings, two hits, zero earned runs, two walks, one hit-by-pitch, two strikeouts and 102 pitches.
“I had no idea,” mentioned Fried, who was a part of a mixed no-hitter as a minor leaguer. “I looked up and saw two hits. It is what it is. I’m just happy we got the win.”
Had the Rays remained hitless, Boone mentioned that he wouldn’t have allowed Fried to achieve the 120-pitch vary. The supervisor thought the Yankees’ de facto ace was “a little bit gassed” towards the tip, so Fried would have wanted effectivity to complete the job.
“That’s a peek at how great he is, really, because I thought it was a grind for him, actually,” Boone mentioned. “I thought it took him a while to kind of find his secondary stuff today.”
Regardless of coming near the document books, Fried agreed that he didn’t navigate the Rays with “ease” on Sunday. And but, he now has a 1.42 ERA months after signing an eight-year, $218 million pact with the Yankees.
“He’s the total package,” Choose mentioned.
The Yankees’ captain added that Fried has been “incredible” with the irreplaceable Gerrit Cole out for the season on account of Tommy John surgical procedure.
“I’m just trying to be myself,” Fried mentioned. “I just want to, when I take the ball, be able to make sure that we have a really good chance to win that day.”
Even earlier than the scoring conundrum, Fried’s no-hit bid wouldn’t have lasted so long as it did if not for some stellar defensive performs.
Whereas the Yankees made two errors within the recreation, a pickoff play between Fried and Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second base erased a two-base mistake from Oswaldo Cabrera within the fourth.
“I’ve been trusting this defense all year, and they had some unbelievable plays behind me today,” Fried mentioned.
The seventh inning, in the meantime, noticed Chisholm make a lunging, over-the-shoulder catch on a blooping popup.
“I called him Flash Gordon,” Boone mentioned of Chisholm’s net gem at second. “I was watching [Anthony] Volpe. That’s where my eyes went. And then Flash Gordon, just out of nowhere, boom, came flying in.”
Whereas Fried dazzled, the Yankees put just a few runs on the board through the longball.
Grisham, main off for the primary time as a Yankee, began the sport with a solo shot off Ryan Pepiot, whereas Cody Bellinger added considered one of his personal within the sixth inning. Austin Wells then left the yard in solo style within the ninth.
The Yankees additionally scored a run within the third when Bellinger beat out a possible double play ball.
It seemed as if Choose had clobbered a towering bases-empty blast of his personal within the eighth, as replay appeared to point out him launching a clearly honest ball means past Steinbrenner Area’s left discipline seats. Nonetheless, the bomb was dominated foul, finally resulting in a strikeout for Choose and an ejection for Boone.
“It was a fair ball,” Choose mentioned, although he famous that the shorter foul poles at Steinbrenner Area, a spring coaching/minor league stadium, aren’t as excessive as they’re at huge league parks. “It’s a tough situation.”
Added Boone: “The audacity of the call standing is remarkable. It’s a home run. It didn’t go our way, though.”
Whereas Choose was robbed of his eighth homer, the Yankees nonetheless wrapped up an uncommon collection on a optimistic be aware due to Fried.
Having received 3-of-4 over the Rays, the Bombers now head to Cleveland, the place a three-game collection towards the Guardians awaits.
Initially Printed: April 20, 2025 at 5:12 PM EDT
