TAMPA, Fla. — After an eventful and very unique day of baseball at Steinbrenner Field ended with the Yankees blanking the Rays 4-0, their new win song was blasting again on the clubhouse stereo, George Benson’s 1980 disco hit “Give Me the Night.”

The biggest hero of the day was the first to talk. The music was so loud at the start of Max Fried’s interview that he initially had to get out of his comfort zone and speak louder. Quickly though, someone tuned down the volume and the left-hander reverted back to his low-key tone.

There were lots of questions for Fried, who lost a late no-hit bid in a way no Yankees pitcher probably ever had. He walked out to the mound to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning not knowing the Rays’ official scorer had just changed a sixth-inning error on Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to an infield single for Rays rookie speedster Chandler Simpson.

The no-hitter was over.

“I had no idea,” Fried said.

Fried still didn’t know about the scoring change when Jake Magnum started the Rays eighth with a line a single to center. He found out after leaving the game with two outs in the inning.

“I looked up (at the scoreboard) and saw two hits,” he said.

Fried didn’t care. He was happy that Yankees reliever Fernando Cruz retired a hitter to end the Rays eighth, then thrilled the righty pitched a scoreless ninth after walking the first two hitters.

Fried wasn’t upset at the official scorer for waiting two innings to change his mind on a booted grounder between first and second that should have been ruled a single right away. After all, Simpson, who was playing his second big-league game, might be the fastest player in the majors.

“It is what it is,” Fried said. “I’m just happy we got the win.”

Believe him. Fried didn’t just say that because he thinks it was the right thing to do.

Had Simpson’s hit been the Rays’ only one, Fried would felt the same. Even in that scenario, he says he wouldn’t have had an issue with the scorer.

“No,” he said. “I’m just glad they didn’t have to worry about that.”

The Yankees knew they were getting a great pitcher last winter when they used a lot of the money that Juan Soto turned down to sign Fried for $218 million over eight years.

They knew they’d be relying on him even more once Gerrit Cole had Tommy John surgery in spring training.

So far, Fried hasn’t just picked up the slack. He’s been a rotation savior going 4-0 record and 1.52 ERA. The Yankees are 5-0 when he starts and 9-8 when he’s not starting.

If you had to pick an early favorite to win the American League Cy Young, go with Fried, who leads the majors in wins and ranks sixth among qualified starters in ERA.

There’s more to Fried though, Aaron Judge revealed after Sunday’s game. He’s quiet, smart, polite and soft-spoken off the field, but he’s not just getting his work in on non-pitching days and dealing when it’s his turn.

“He just dives into his teammates,” Judge said. “I think that’s been the coolest thing. The days he’s not pitching, he’s there talking to me about my hitting. He’s there asking me questions about what I do. He’s talking to other pitchers about what they’re trying to do, so he can be a resource or just a sounding board.

“So I think seeing that as a guy that’s on top of his game and one of the best pitchers, he’s trying to get to know his teammates, trying to point to them and help them out a little. He’s the total package.”

Fried’s relentless prepping helps him pitch well even when his stuff isn’t the best … like Sunday when he struck out only two while pitching two-hit ball for 7 2/3 scoreless innings.

“That’s a peek at how great he is,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Really. Because I thought it was a grind for him actually. I thought it took him a while to find his secondary stuff. He only punched out two, but he pitches so well with his fastball. Sinker, four-seam, add (velocity), subtract, move it around.”

Fried is an excellent athlete, too. He fields his position so well that he won Gold Gloves in 2020, 2021 and 2022, and that quality stood out again in his Sunday start.

With one down in the Rays third, the skinny 6-foot-4, 190 pounder had to book it to first to take a throw after Simpson hit a groundball to Goldschmidt.

Running full speed from the mound to first, Fried reached the bag just before Simpson, who stole 104 bases in the minors last season and picked up his first as a big leaguer on Sunday.

“That felt like a couple of the times I had to go pinch run for the Braves,” Fried said.

The third out of the same inning featured another nice fielding play by Fried, who hustled to pick up a squibbler between third base and the mound, then spun and made a long throw to first for an out.

Fried also picked off a baserunner at second base in the fourth with a perfect spinarama throw to second baseman Jazz Chisholm, who caught the ball and put on the tag in one motion.

“I’m a weak contact groundball guy, so sometimes you get swinging bunts,” Fried said. “To be able to field your position makes all the difference.”

Like Cole, Fried is fierce competitor.

It’s easy to notice that trait with Cole. You can see it on his face when he’s pitching, hear it in his voice when he talks after games.

Fried is similar but different. He’s the same way, but he’s always looking and sounding like he’s the mellowest guy on the club.

He’s not.

Before Fried’s no-hit bid was over on Sunday, manager Aaron Boone was thinking about the pitch count. Fried was up to 92 through seven innings.

“I wasn’t going to let him go 120,” Boone said.

There were scenarios where Fried might have been removed after eight innings or even during the ninth.

However this could have played out, Fried would have been perfectly fine with the decision. He wasn’t upset at his Braves manager last year when he was pulled after six no-hit innings in one game and after seven no-hit innings two starts later with his pitch count in the low 100s both times.

He’s been part of a combined no-hitter as a minor leaguer, but never has thrown one solo as a kid, teen or pro. It’s not a goal of his. He just wants to pitch well and win.

“I’m going to keep the ball and want to keep pitching as long as I can,” Fried said. “I always want to take the ball. so I just keep going and knowing that I want to be out there. When Boonie comes out and says, ‘We’re gonna make the move,’ I know that it’s in the best interest of the team. I just want to win the game.”

Judge loves hearing this kind of talk. That’s what he’s all about, too.

“I don’t think Max is worried about that kind of stuff,” Judge said. “He’s worried about going out there and helping the team, helping us win.

“He’s incredible. Everything everybody said about him from afar, he’s the real deal. To see it up close and see him come out here, especially when you miss a guy like Gerrit Cole, who you can’t replace, to summon Max Fried to be that ace for us, it’s been fun to watch.”

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Randy Miller may be reached at [email protected].