It was on Tuesday night when New York Yankees’ embattled closer Devin Williams took the ball in the eighth inning of a scoreless game against the Texas Rangers. Two-thirds of an inning later, he had given up two earned runs, sealing the loss in his name. Once a lights-out closer, Williams has been the source of intense panic among the Yankee fan base; however, one man who hasn’t been panicked is manager Aaron Boone.
“It’s similar to after getting off to a rough start [this season], he rallied from that and really threw up a couple months of really consistent, outstanding work,” Boone said as reported by Greg Joyce of the New York Post. “No reason to think he can’t do that again. He has the equipment to do it, and hopefully just a little rough patch here and we’ll get through that.”
Boone, who has long maintained his optimism while his team’s skid has continued to squander their once-stellar record, gave Williams a vote of confidence again on Friday, throwing him into yet another tied game. Taking the ball in the 10th inning of a 2-2 game against the Astros, Williams’ first pitch (a wild pitch) seemed to foreshadow the inevitable conclusion. Jose Altuve, the automatic runner on second, advanced to third on the throw, then scored on a Carlos Correa single.
Williams was able to secure two quick force outs, nearly making it out of the inning without allowing an earned run. Any hope of that was lost when Taylor Trammell stepped to the plate and deposited a changeup into the seats for a two-run home run, once more handing the loss to Williams.
Over his past five appearances, Williams has given up eight earned runs (in 4.2 innings pitched). He now owns a 5.73 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 44 innings on the year. Boone, who removed Williams from the closer role once this season, has been hesitant to move him to a lower-leverage role during his most recent struggles. Given Williams’ talent, Boone could still be right about a possible resurgence. However, if this continues, the Yankees might find themselves sitting at home during the postseason.
