NEW YORK – The Yankees have cautiously nudged Devin Williams back into higher-leverage situations, with three consecutive solid outings restoring faith that his early season issues were just a blip. The right-hander’s latest clunker may adjust that thinking.
Saying he was struggling to find a proper landing spot on a soggy mound, Williams coughed up an eighth-inning lead, leaving a bases-loaded mess and watching from the dugout as the runs came across against closer Luke Weaver. The Yankees fell to the Padres, 4-3, on Monday evening at Yankee Stadium.
“It’s one of those nights where you’re not only battling the hitter, I was battling the mound,” Williams said. “So we’re all given the same set of circumstances, and I couldn’t pull through tonight.”
Acquired from the Brewers in December, Williams was envisioned as a lockdown relief arm, carrying credentials as a two-time National League Reliever of the Year whose celebrated “Airbender” changeup helped author a razor-sharp career 1.83 ERA coming into this season.
But the Yankees have only seen glimpses of that version of the 30-year-old Williams.
Removed from the closer’s role after an April 25 blown save against the Blue Jays, Williams pitched well twice in Baltimore and again Friday at home vs. Tampa Bay. In his first 11 2/3 innings as a Yankee, Williams has permitted 15 runs (13 earned) for an unsightly 10.03 ERA.
“I think the biggest thing is command and being ahead, and not putting guys on,” manager Aaron Boone said. “The stuff is there. Stuff’s fine. And I do believe he’ll get on a roll and be lights-out and dominant. But it’s just the command part of it, where walks or getting behind in certain situations have hurt him a little bit.”
Boone summoned Weaver, who had not allowed an earned run in 15 innings to open the season. But Weaver had an off night, too, acknowledging he “felt a little clouded.” Manny Machado drilled a two-run double, and Xander Bogaerts delivered a two-run single that put San Diego ahead.
“I just didn’t quite have that focus that I needed to really drive it in there,” Weaver said. “It’s a real stinger, for sure, and one that I’m not going to take lightly. But I know I need to move on and make sure I’m prepared for the next day.”
Carlos Rodón was among the teammates who counseled Williams after the ugly eighth inning, and the big lefty wields some credentials in this area. Rodón endured injuries and underperformance with the Yankees in 2023, but he began to turn it around in a solid ’24 that saw him make a career-high 32 starts.
The boos Rodón heard in 2023, and for parts of ’24, sounded a lot like what Williams has experienced in the Bronx thus far. But, as Rodón would point out, that negativity does not have to be permanent.
“I know what that feels like. It’s not easy,” Rodón said. “But we acquired him for a reason. He’s such a great pitcher. He just needs to build that confidence. He needs to know what kind of pitcher he is. He has an unbelievable changeup, and [Williams needs to] just go out there and pitch with some swagger.”
This was an opportunity to restore more, assigned the eighth inning even though Fernando Cruz tossed just two pitches in finishing the seventh for Rodón, who was splendid over 6 2/3 frames. Boone said he considered keeping Cruz in, but he was dissuaded by Cruz’s two-inning appearance on Saturday vs. Tampa Bay.
Williams struck out Martín Maldonado to open the inning, but he lost Tyler Wade to a one-out walk before Brandon Lockridge flared a single into center field.
What remained of the crowd of 38,128 began to grumble audibly, having already endured a pair of rain delays, the second of which halted play for 28 minutes in the fourth inning.
A close call went Williams’ way on a 1-1 changeup to Fernando Tatis Jr., and when the outfielder struck out swinging one pitch later, both Tatis and Padres manager Mike Shildt were ejected by home-plate umpire Adrian Johnson.
Shildt tossed his lineup card, pen and glasses in a fiery argument that continued for several minutes. In hindsight, Williams said he should have used that time to summon the grounds crew to patch up the mound. Instead, Williams walked Luis Arraez on four pitches.
“[The rain] started to pick up there while I was on the mound, and I wasn’t able to make the adjustment,” Williams said. “I didn’t really think about it in the moment. I’m just trying to clean off my cleats and get as much grip as you can. But in the future, I’ll definitely do that.”