Williams wilts again, sees ERA top 10 as Yankee

NEW YORK — Devin Williams‘ nightmare season continued Monday night with another poor outing in the New York Yankees‘ 4-3 loss to the San Diego Padres at a rainy Yankee Stadium.

The right-hander entered in the eighth inning with the Yankees leading 3-0. He exited with two outs — both on strikeouts — and the bases loaded after yielding a hit and two walks, leaving Luke Weaver, who recently replaced him as the club’s closer, to clean the mess. But Weaver surrendered a pair of two-run hits to squander the lead as the Yankees fell to 19-16.

Williams was charged with three runs, increasing his ERA to 10.03 in 14 games this season. He departed to another smattering of boos from a scant crowd that stuck around to brave the elements and watch his first appearance at home since being demoted from the closer role.

But unlike his previous disappointing outings, Williams is confident the appearance was an outlier and attributed his performance to his inability to adjust to the sloppy conditions in the rain.

“Both walks were obviously not what you’re trying to do, but I was kind of battling myself there with the landing spot,” Williams said. “Tough to control the fastball today.”

Williams said his trouble with the landing spot affected his fastball’s release point. The right-hander threw seven of his 12 fastballs for balls, mostly yanking them to his glove side.

He appeared sharp when he struck out Martin Maldonado on four pitches to begin his outing. He also struck out Fernando Tatis Jr. on a changeup with runners on first and second base before Tatis was ejected for expressing his discontent with the strike zone.

But Williams walked Tyler Wade on six pitches, spraying four around the strike zone; yielded a single to Brandon Lockridge on an 0-2 fastball; and surrendered a four-pitch free pass — all fastballs — to Luis Arraez to load the bases and end his night.

Weaver then gave up a two-run double to Manny Machado and a two-run single to Xander Bogaerts to lose the lead. The fourth run was charged to Weaver — the first earned run he has given up this season. The right-hander has an 0.59 ERA over 15⅓ innings this season.

“I feel good, I feel confident on the mound,” Williams said. “I felt like I was in a good spot. It’s one of those nights where you’re not only battling the hitter, I was battling the mound. But we’re all given the same set of circumstances and I couldn’t pull through tonight.”

The 30-year-old Williams was a slow starter in his six-plus seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, but he never struggled nearly to this extent.

Williams posted a 1.83 ERA in his time in Milwaukee, winning 2020 NL Rookie of the Year and making two All-Star teams behind his elite screwball-like changeup known as The Airbender. He gave up 13 earned runs in 80⅓ innings across 83 appearances as the Brewers’ closer over the past two seasons. He already has matched that earned run total in only 11⅔ innings with the Yankees.

“The biggest thing, again, is just command and being ahead and not putting guys on,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Stuff’s there. Stuff’s fine and I do believe he’ll get on a roll and be lights out and dominant. But the command part of it, where the walks or getting behind in certain situations, have hurt him a little bit.”

Boos from the home crowd have accompanied the struggles. Williams heard them when he struggled on Opening Day. And he heard them again as he gave up three runs to the Toronto Blue Jays without recording an out on April 25 — his last appearance as the Yankees’ closer, at least for the time being.

On Monday, Carlos Rodon, who sparkled over 6⅔ scoreless innings, voiced his support to Williams after his appearance. Two years ago, Rodon was the recipient of boos during his dreadful, injury-plagued first season in the Bronx. He understands the pressure. He wants his teammate to just stay the course.

“I’ve been through it,” Rodon said. “I know what that feels like. It’s not easy. But we acquired him for a reason. He’s such a great pitcher. Just needs to build that confidence and he needs to know what kind of pitcher he is. He’s so good. He’s tremendous. We got him for a reason and it’s an unbelievable changeup. Just go out there and pitch with some swagger.”