Acce s the Yankees beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees. Max Fried is a complicated pitcher. He does not often overwhelm with velocity. He does not mi s an elite number of bats. Everything moves, a weapon for every quadrant of the strike zone, each seemingly a different speed that results in a more subtle form of domination. But the results are simple: When he pitches, his team wins. The Yankees improved to 7-for-7 in Fried starts Friday, when the lefty one-hit the Rays over seven brilliant innings in a 3-0, series-opening victory in front of 45,189 in The Bronx. Just the different ways he can beat you, manager Aaron Boone marveled after the Yankees (19-13) used their stopper and ace to bounce back from a disappointing series in Baltimore with a crisp, well-pitched and well-defended effort. Some of the innings hes ripping off some good breaking balls, the other hes adding and subtracting on his heater Gary Roenicke Jersey . Fresh off being named the American League Pitcher of the Month for April, Fried began his May with the same kind of artful excellence. Max Fried (54) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium, Friday, May 2, 2025. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST He did not allow a hit until there was one out in the fifth (when a well-struck single from Jos Caballero dashed hope of history), and he only let one Ray into scoring position: Junior Caminero, who reached on a fielders choice in the first, advanced on a pa sed ball and was stranded at second when Fried struck out Jonathan Aranda. That was as close as the Rays came to a rally against a pitcher who threw seven different pitches that ranged from a 71.1 mph curveball to a 97.4 mph four-seamer. Tampa Bay never looked comfortable as Fried, who walked two and hit one, lowered his ERA to 1.01. CHECK OUT THE AND Fried threw pitches that registered as four-seamers that ranged from 89.1 mph to that 97.4 mph heat. It is not just the diversity of pitch types but the diversity within the pitches themselves that throws off hitters timing. Yankees pitcher Max Fried (54) walks back to the dugout after ending the seventh inning on Friday, May 2, 2025. Robert Sabo for NY Post You never knew how he was going to pitch you, said longtime National League foe and new teammate Paul Goldschmidt, whose three-run homer provided the games only runs. [Back then] he had six probably above-average pitches. A lot of times pitchers that have six pitches, theres two of them that are probably dominating and they mix the other ones in. On what became a good night for Brian Cashmans offseason, Goldschmidts fifth-inning swing was all that was needed. Explore More The Yankees offense consistently mounted threats taking nine at-bats with runners in scoring position and coming up empty eight times and could not cash in until Goldschmidt lifted a short-porch shot off lefty Mason Montgomery with two outs and runners on second and third. Yankees first base Paul Goldschmidt (48) hits a three-run home run during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium, Friday, May 2, 2025, in Bronx, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST The righty swinger has three home runs this season all off southpaws, against whom he is an astounding 18-for-30 (.600). That swing became the game-winner because Devin Williams (an encouraging, clean eighth inning) and Luke Weaver (third save) handled the late innings without allowing a hit, and the first seven innings featured nearly spotle s pitching and fielding. New York Yankees pitcher Devin Williams (38) throws a pitch in the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 2, 2025. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST Fried helped his own cause by catching Caballero napping at first in the second inning, his third pick-off of the season already. But he had help: l A quick turn from third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera and second baseman Jorbit Vivas created a third-inning double play off the bat of Chandler Simpson, perhaps MLBs fastest player. l Cabrera made a sliding play to retire Yandy Daz an inning later, earning a point and nod from Fried. l In the fifth, Cabrera came through again by charging a chopper hit by Curtis Mead, fielding cleanly on a tough short hop and throwing Mead out. Paul Goldschmidt (48) is all smiles after he scores on his three-run home run during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium, Friday, May 2, 2025, in Bronx, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST When Im pitching, Im going to get a lot of ground balls to that left side over there, Fried said, and Ive felt like [Cabrera has] done a really nice job. l It was Vivas (nicely catching a pop-up down the right-field line) and Goldschmidt (bowled over by a 105.5 mph grounder, but getting up and beating Daz to the bag) impre sing in the sixth. In an era of maximizing velocity and shrugging off walks, Frieds fastball touched all ends of the velocity spectrum, and he still has not walked more than two hitters in an outing. New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (28) greets New York Yankees pitcher Luke Weaver (30) after the final out. Robert Sabo for NY Post Hes just so versatile out there, Boone said after the third Yankees shutout of the season. Felix Bautista Jersey