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6mo ago

MLB Faces Backlash Over Scoring Change That Ended Max Fried’s No-Hitter Bid

Yankees pitcher Max Fried lost a potential no-hitter after Rays official scorer Bill Matthews retroactively changed a sixth-inning error to a hit, prompting calls for MLB review and accusations of bias.

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Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Ryan Pepiot throws to home plate during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Tampa Bay Rays' Christopher Morel sprints to first base for a single as New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, not pictured, is pulled off of the bag by a wide throw during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
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Overview

  • Yankees pitcher Max Fried carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning before a retroactive scoring change ruled a sixth-inning grounder by Chandler Simpson as a hit, ending the bid.
  • Official scorer Bill Matthews justified the change by stating replay review showed Simpson would have beaten any throw to first base, but the decision has faced widespread criticism.
  • Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay called the scoring change "unfathomable," while manager Aaron Boone criticized inconsistencies in official scoring across ballparks.
  • Fans accused MLB of anti-Yankees bias, with some calling for an investigation into the decision and questioning Matthews' impartiality as the Rays’ longtime scorer.
  • This is not the first time Matthews has overturned a scoring decision to end a no-hitter; a similar incident occurred in 2011 involving Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez.