ARLINGTON, Texas — The New York Yankees’ infielders converged on the mound, surrounding struggling reliever Devin Williams. It allowed extra time for David Bednar and Mark Leiter Jr. — pitchers historically good against lefty batters — to warm up in the bullpen. Williams had just issued a walk to load the bases, and lefty hitter Rowdy Tellez was up next. Manager Aaron Boone stayed in the dugout, trusting Williams to protect the scoreless eighth-inning tie.
The decision blew a Texas-sized hole in the Yankees’ chance of stopping their terrible slide.
Williams gave up a two-run single up the middle to Tellez — his second meltdown in as many days — leading to a 2-0 loss to the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Tuesday night.
Here we go again… pic.twitter.com/YeqBSwjEzV
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 6, 2025
It meant the Yankees’ fifth straight defeat, all since the trade deadline last Thursday, and it came after Williams also blew the save in the ninth inning of Monday’s loss to the Rangers. The disappointment dropped the Yankees (60-54) to a half-game lead over the Rangers (60-55) for the third and final wild-card spot.
Why didn’t Boone pull Williams before he faced Tellez? Williams had just walked Wyatt Langford to juice the bags, and before that, he had given up a one-out double to Adolis García and he walked Joc Pederson. Why didn’t he go with Bednar, the former Pittsburgh Pirates closer whom the Yankees acquired Thursday? Lefty hitters had a .455 OPS vs. Bednar going into Tuesday.
Boone said it was because he didn’t want to use Bednar for five outs. He had thrown 11 pitches Monday night. He had already used Luke Weaver and Camilo Doval to that point
“I was going to maybe go with Bednar in a four-out situation,” Boone said, “but just kind of shortening the game a little bit. We don’t have a lot left down there.”
Boone added that he thought he was also hesitant to use Leiter since he had come off the injured list earlier in the day and hadn’t pitched in a major-league game since July 6.
“I thought Devin could still get some swing and miss there,” Boone said, “and obviously didn’t.”
The manager added that he didn’t consider using lefty Tim Hill, who hasn’t pitched since Saturday, because he believed the Rangers would have sent up a righty hitter, such as Kyle Higashioka or Ezequiel Duran, to face him in place of Tellez. Righties have a .765 OPS against Hill this season.
Boone said he didn’t know why Williams, who has a 5.44 ERA in 47 games, was in the midst of the worst season of his career. Boone said he used him on Tuesday because he felt he had a good chance, considering three of the four hitters Williams was due to face were right-handed.
“Hopefully we’ll help him turn the corner and get part of the group that we feel like can still be very good down there,” Boone said.
Before the game, Boone indicated that he would cycle through closers rather than leave the job with Williams, who had also blown a save on Wednesday at home.
Aaron Judge, who returned from the injured list Tuesday, threw his support behind Williams.
“He’s been so good for us the past month, month and a half,” Judge said. “Just getting back to what he does best. That’s a tough spot, especially any time with a closer, late-inning guy like that, coming into some big moments, big spots. The game’s kind of on the line. He’s won a lot of ballgames for us, and you’re going to hit some rough parts like that, but you’ve just got to be there to support him. He’s picked us up quite a bit throughout the year, and we’ve got to pick him up sometimes.”
Williams has given up 26 earned runs this season — the same number he’d given up in the three previous seasons combined. He has also coughed up runs in six of his past eight appearances. The Yankees acquired him in the offseason to be their closer after he had been one of the National League’s best relievers for the past several years with the Milwaukee Brewers.
“I don’t really know what to say at this point,” Williams said.
Jasson Domínguez nearly made this catch on a ball hit by Adolis García. Instead, the double keyed a rally. (Tim Heitman / Getty Images)
Williams’ problems started when left fielder Jasson Domínguez got a glove on the one-out line drive García ripped over his head, but couldn’t haul it in. Domínguez, a natural center fielder who has had trouble learning the position, didn’t appear to get a good read on the ball as it was in the air.
“Got a glove on it,” Boone said. “Obviously, it’s hit hard. It’s a tough play. He didn’t get a great jump on it. But, I mean, tough play over his head, though.”
“It’s hard to expect him to catch that ball,” Williams said. “He got a glove on it. So, he came close, but you can’t expect that to be caught.”
Williams said his biggest mistake was the walk to Langford, which came in a 3-1 count. Then Tellez pushed him to nine pitches before the hitter scooped a low changeup to center field, wrecking the Yankees’ night.
“I’ll just continue to work and keep trying to execute and help the team anyway that I can,” Williams said.
(Photo of Devin Williams: Tim Heitman / Getty Images)
