Devin Williams narrowly saved his first game with the New York Yankees.
Acquired from Milwaukee in December, the bearded All-Star closer got his first boos from Yankees fans just 18 pitches into his career with the team.
“I heard ‘em. I heard ’em,” he said.
After loading the bases with no outs against his former team and allowing Brice Turang’s sacrifice fly, Williams struck out Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich to hold on to a 4-2 win over the Brewers on opening day, which got tense in the ninth inning.
“Love that he didn’t break,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He just kept making pitches.”
The Yankees traded for the 30-year-old right-hander in December, sending left-hander Nestor Cortes, infield prospect Caleb Durbin, and $2 million to the Brewers.
Williams had been unhappy with appearing clean-shaven and was set to become a free agent after the season. So, last month, the Yankees lifted their 49-year ban on beards, a rule started by owner George Steinbrenner in 1976. Williams had pushed for this change.
Williams, who was drafted by the Brewers in 2013 and made his MLB debut six years later, had never played for another team until this year.
“When we did the opening ceremony,” he recalled after the game, “looking across and seeing all the faces that I’m familiar with being on the other side it was kind of weird for me.”
It was late in the afternoon when Williams took the mound with a 4-1 lead.
Joey Ortiz led off with a single, and Isaac Collins doubled off the center-field wall on Williams’ changeup, nicknamed his “Airbender.”
Pinch-hitter Jake Bauers walked on seven pitches, five of which were Airbenders, and Williams fell behind 3-1 to Turang. Boos broke out before Williams got two foul balls and the sacrifice fly.
Devin Williams and Austin Wells celebrate after the win“Obviously, there’s a little bit of different expectations, more eyes on you here, but none of that is going through my mind when I’m on the mound,” Williams said.
Pitching coach Matt Blake and catcher Austin Wells came to the mound.
“Keep being you and filling it up,” Wells recalled telling Williams. “He’s done it for a while now. So he’s calm, cool and collected.”
Bauers stole second, and Chourio struck out on the eighth pitch of his at-bat for his fifth strikeout of the game, two more than his previous high.
With Fernando Cruz warming up in the Yankees bullpen, Yelich came to bat.
“I’m very laid back, low key,” Williams said. “There’s really no other option. It’s either I get this guy out or we lose a game.”
Williams struck out Yelich, the 2018 NL MVP, with a full-count inside fastball to end a 36-pitch outing, his longest since May 2022. The 95.1 mph pitch was Williams’ fastest of the day.
“He’s a great closer and we made it tough on him,” Yelich said. “He made a pitch again.”
After being named player of the game and given the Yankees’ championship belt, Williams seemed relieved.
“I didn’t think my command was the best today,” he said, “but they also laid off some really good pitches at times. I think they had a really good plan against me. There’s no one that knows me better than that team over there, so they really made me work for this one.”
