

TAMPA, Fla. — A zero showed under the hit column as New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried took the mound in the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays. But before Fried threw a pitch to right fielder Jake Mangum to begin the eighth inning, the Rays were credited with a hit, and Fried’s no-hit bid was over.
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Rays official scorer Bill Mathews announced over the intercom in the press box that he decided to award center fielder Chandler Simpson with an infield single in the sixth inning because it was “very apparent” Simpson would have beaten out a potential throw. Simpson hit a grounder to Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who was playing off the bag, but the ball caromed off his glove, allowing the speedy rookie to reach first base. Mathews initially ruled the play an error, which extended Fried’s no-hitter.
On first glance, Simpson could have reached first base if Goldschmidt had fielded the ball cleanly. Simpson is the fastest player in the sport, and it would have been challenging for Fried to beat him to first base. However, there was a similar play in the third inning. Simpson hit a grounder to Goldschmidt, and Fried sprinted to first base to field the toss for a 3-1 putout. When asked why he changed his scoring decision two innings later, Mathews was terse with an explanation.
“I made a decision,” Mathews told The Athletic.
In the official scorer’s estimation, it was “very apparent” Chandler Simpson would have beaten this out if Paul Goldschmidt had handled it cleanly, so it is now a hit. pic.twitter.com/rgAqgdL4Fr
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) April 20, 2025
When asked for further explanation on what he saw that made him change his scoring decision, Mathews stared blankly ahead and remained silent. He took no further questions.
It’s likely Fried did not know that Mathews made the scoring change when the eighth inning started because Fried was already on the mound preparing to face Mangum. Mathews’ scoring decision didn’t linger as a potential reason for the no-hitter being broken, because Mangum led off the eighth inning with a single up the middle.
Fried’s outing ended after 7 2/3 innings pitched, with only two hits and two walks allowed. Fried’s ERA is now 1.42 on the season.
(Photo: Nathan Ray Seebeck / Imagn Images)
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