Texas’s Arlington Yankees are dependableDevin Williams sat bare-chested at his locker, staring straight ahead with a blank expression.
He was stripped of his closer job for the second time this season, and he just blew a game for the second time in two nights.
Williams came in to throw in the eighth inning of Tuesday night’s game at Globe Life Field, which remained scoreless until Rowdy Tellez hit two outs to give the Rangers a 2-0 victory.
Williams served up a game-tying homer to.126 hitter Joc Pederson after being called out of the bullpen to pitch the ninth with a 5-4 lead the previous evening. The Yankees lost 8-5 in the tenth inning.
Williams is frustrated that he has had so many difficulties this season, pitching to a 5.44 ERA, just like Yankees supporters everywhere. His ERA was 1.83 throughout his first six seasons, all spent with the Milwaukee Brewers.
“At this point, I’m not even sure what to say,” Williams remarked. Do you know? I just keep working, trying to do my best, and supporting the team in any way I can.
After starter Will Warren finished after five innings with a pitch total of over 98, Yankees manager Aaron Boone had this scoreless game planned out in his mind.
In order to match the zeroes that Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi proceeded to provide on a night when he shut out the Yankees for eight innings on one hit, he selected Luke Weaver for the sixth and Camilo Doval for the seventh.
In order to save David Bednar from pitching the ninth if the Yankees advanced, Boone selected Williams for the eighth inning. In the event of a tie, he selected Mark Leiter Jr., who had just been released off the disabled list on Tuesday.
Why was Williams present? He had pitched to a 7.71 ERA in seven appearances since July 19, in addition to blowing saves in his previous two appearances.
Boone stated, “I liked him in that middle (of the Rangers lineup) with a couple of those righties.”
Leiter might have been a better fit.
Adolis Garcia launched a Rangers rally with a one-out rocket to deep left that escaped the glove of a leaping Jasson Dominguez for a double, but Williams retired leadoff batter Marcus Semien on a feeble comebacker.
Boone remarked, “I thought he didn’t get a great jump on it.” But it’s difficult to play over his head.
Williams didn’t blame the rookie for not making the grab, but he was hoping Dominguez would save him.
“You can’t expect that to be caught,” Williams said, adding that he came near because he had a glove on it.
Williams walked two consecutive batters to load the bases with one out after the double.
Pederson, who swings left, walked on four pitches first. He only received fastballs this time, the last three of which were high and outside, after Pederson hit a home run on a changeup that was left over the plate on Monday.
Wyatt Lankford, who walked on five pitches, came next.
Williams added, “I was experimenting with my heater with Joc.” That one didn’t truly aggravate me. Prepare the double play. The walk to Langford, however, was what truly wounded me.
Williams, who faces Tellez, a left-handed hitter who struggles with running and has a lot of swing-and-miss in his game, hoped for a strikeout or double-play groundball with the bases loaded.
It ended up being a 10-pitch fight. Tellez took ball three, then swung at ball four, a low Airbender changeup, after fouling off four consecutive 2-2 pitches. The Yankees were doomed once more after he golfed it into center for a single and two runs were scored.
Williams praised Tellez for a job well done. He fought me. Everything was being fouled off by him. Today, he prevailed. The next time, I’ll try to get him.
Williams won’t be available for Wednesday’s series finale after throwing two days in a row, so the next time will be next season at the latest, unless the Yankees and Rangers play each other in the playoffs.
If Boone chooses to use a closer by committee for the remainder of the season, the Yankees may still need Williams to pitch well in order to qualify for the playoffs. That’s the current idea, but Bednar, who went 17 for 17 in save situations for the Pirates this season, might wind up taking the position.
We need to help (Williams) turn the turnaround and join the group that we believe has a lot of potential left, Boone stated.
