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In the wake of a rocky outing from newly acquired closer Devin Williams, Yankees captain Aaron Judge offered a strong show of support for the two-time All-Star.
Earlier in the offseason, the Yankees traded for Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers. However, his stint so far has been shaky, with Saturday's blown save marking the latest disappointment.
Williams entered the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays, tasked with protecting an 8-4 lead. But he surrendered four earned runs, allowing the Rays to tie the game and ultimately win it in extra innings, 10-8.
After the game, amid mounting backlash, Judge stood firmly behind his closer. The Yankees captain said (per Yankees reporter Gary Phillips):
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"We went out and got him for a reason. He's the best closer in the game," Judge told reporters following the Yankees’ latest nail-biter. "We got a long season. This guy's gonna save a lot of ballgames for us and help us out. I'm not worried at all."
Despite the early struggles, Judge made it clear that the team has not lost faith in Williams’ capabilities.
"He knows what he needs to do. He'll go out there. He'll figure it out," Judge said. "Everybody in this room, we want him coming out of the bullpen, especially in a tight game. That’s who we want on the mound. Nobody in here is worried. He’s gonna get the job done."
Devin Williams and Yankees crumble in the ninth
While Jonathan Aranda’s walk-off home run off Yoendrys Gomez in the 10th snapped the Yankees’ five-game winning streak, things might not have reached that point had Williams done his job.
The ninth inning for the Rays began with a throwing error by third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera, allowing Jose Caballero to reach second with one out. Williams then walked No. 9 hitter Ben Rortvedt. Chandler Simpson followed with a ground-rule double to plate a run. Yandy Diaz added an RBI infield single to continue the rally.
At that point, many expected manager Aaron Boone to pull Williams. However, Boone stuck with him, and the decision backfired. Brandon Lowe hit a two-run single off Williams, tying the game and forcing extras.
The outing marked Williams’ ninth earned run in just eight innings with the Yankees.
