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Former Braves Ace Loses No-Hitter After Controversial Scoring Change

The former Atlanta Braves pitcher lost his bid for a no-hitter with the New York Yankees while he wasn't even on the mound
Harrison Smajovits|
It's not everyday you lose a no-hitter when you're off the mound
It's not everyday you lose a no-hitter when you're off the mound | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

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Atlanta BravesNew York YankeesTampa Bay Rays

Former Atlanta Braves ace Max Fried flirted with a no-hit bid in the New York Yankees 4-0 over the Tampa Bay Rays. However, how the no-hitter came to an end came down to a decision by the scorer rather than what happened on the field.

Fried lost his no-hitter in the eighth inning, but in part to a play that happened back in the sixth inning. Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson hit a ground ball to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. The bounced off the glove and bouced along the infield dirt as Simpson easily made it to first base.

The scorer, Bill Matthews, originally scored an error (E3), but an inning and a half later, he changed it to a single. So, while sitting in the dugout, he lost his no-hitter. That's a new one.

"Just unfathomable," Yankees play-by-play broadcaster Michael Kay said on air when learning of the scoring change. "Either you call it when it happens - you don't wait three innings to go by. "

Fried didn't know the scoring change had happened until after he left the game. He gave up another single to Jake Mangum in eighth inning, which would have ended the no-hitter anyway. However, it's still a rare decision to not let the no-hitter play out after already scoring it an error.

If the scorer had changed the error to a hit after it was already broken up, that would have been different, but it's still taking a no-hitter away. Regardless, Fried chose to take it, at least on camera, in stride.

"It it what it is," Fried said. "I'm just happy we got the win."

The former Braves ace finished the day with 7 2/3 scoreless innings pitched, allowing the two hits and two walks while striking out two. He's been excellent for the Yankees to start the season with a 1.88 ERA in four starts.

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Harrison Smajovits
HARRISON SMAJOVITS

Harrison Smajovits is a reporter covering the Atlanta Braves and the Florida Gators. He also covers the Tampa Bay Lightning for The Hockey Writers. He has two degrees from the University of Florida: a bachelor's in Telecommunication and a master's in Sport Management. When he's not writing, Harrison is usually listening to his Beatles records or getting out of the house with friends.

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