Fried sizzles, but Williams’ return with a roar steals Yankees spotlight

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Ace Max Fried excelled in the win over the Rays, but reliever Devin Williams’ comeback provided the Yankees with their critical missing piece.

Max Fried carved through Tampa Bay’s lineup with surgical precision, hurling seven shutout innings while allowing just a solitary hit. Paul Goldschmidt blasted a three-run homer to give the Yankees an insurmountable lead. However, all these performances are not just part of the victory on Friday night at Yankee Stadium that deserved every headline.

Another key part in the Yankees’ 3-0 triumph over the Rays was written by the bullpen. The eighth inning brought forth a narrative just as compelling, more subdued, deeply personal, and potentially more crucial to the Yankees’ championship aspirations. Devin Williams, who weeks ago departed this same mound amid a chorus of jeers, returned to the spotlight not as the team’s closer but as a trusted bullpen piece in a high-stakes situation. His inning might not command the morning headlines, but it marked a pivotal chapter in his redemption story.

Williams finds redemption

Just seven days earlier, Devin Williams had reached the nadir of his Yankees tenure. His ERA had swelled to an alarming 11.25. Yankee Stadium crowds openly chanted for Luke Weaver as Williams struggled on the mound. Removed from his closer role, many questioned whether his confidence — or his mechanics — could be salvaged.

Then came Friday night.

Entrusted with the eighth inning and a three-run advantage, Williams faced more than just Tampa Bay’s bottom order — he confronted the collective memory of a fanbase. The same spectators who had booed him mercilessly a week prior now watched in tense anticipation as he took the hill. What followed was Williams’ most efficient inning since joining the Yankees.

He retired all three batters with apparent ease: inducing a soft grounder, a lazy fly ball, and punctuating the frame with a swinging strikeout of Danny Jansen — a notorious Yankees nemesis. His signature changeup danced with renewed life, his fastball found corners with precision, and notably, his body language projected calm confidence for the first time in weeks.

After securing the final out, Williams released a primal scream into his glove. The emotion was palpable and the message unmistakable — this wasn’t mere survival. This was revival.

Boone defended Williams in his postgame comments, emphasizing that the reliever’s talent hadn’t disappeared simply because of a few difficult outings in his new environment.

When questioned about Williams potentially reclaiming the closer role soon, Boone offered no specific timeline. “I like what we have,” he said, referencing the flexibility provided by the current bullpen configuration, mentioning Luke Weaver, Fernando Cruz, Mark Leiter Jr., and Tim Hill as versatile options allowing multiple strategic approaches on any given night.

Weaver secures Yankees victory

Weaver, who has emerged as the preferred ninth-inning option due to recent reliability, handled the top of Tampa Bay’s lineup with composure. He recorded his third save of the season without surrendering a hit, continuing his own transformation from versatile swingman to dependable late-game weapon.

The Yankees’ bullpen has evolved into a fluid operation — both by necessity and design. But Friday’s arrangement showcased a formula that could persist through the summer months: seven strong from Fried, Williams bridging the eighth, and Weaver closing the door.

The three pitchers combined to allow just one hit throughout the game. Yet Williams’ inning — efficient, clean, and emotionally charged — carried the evening’s most powerful undercurrent.

Fried’s mastery on the mound continues

Silencing divisional opponents has become routine for Fried since donning pinstripes. His latest gem against Tampa Bay represented the third time this season the Yankees have blanked the Rays — with Fried orchestrating two of those shutouts.

Just two starts ago, Fried tossed 7⅔ innings of two-hit baseball in Tampa, a performance nearly overshadowed by a disputed scoring decision. Friday night left no room for controversy. He recorded six strikeouts, issued two walks, and methodically dismantled the Rays through seven dominant frames. Tampa Bay failed to advance a runner beyond first base after the opening inning.

The lefty’s command throughout the contest was meticulous. Employing a diverse seven-pitch arsenal ranging from a 71 mph curveball to a 97 mph fastball, he kept hitters perpetually off-balance through unpredictability rather than overwhelming velocity. Even when the counts tilted against him, Fried maintained his composure. His greatest weapon wasn’t any single pitch but his capacity to keep hitters guessing.

“There were a couple of innings where he was reining in his command a little bit,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Some of the innings he’s ripping off good breaking balls, some of the innings he’s adding and subtracting on his heater. The different ways he can beat you — it’s impressive.”

Yet as remarkable as Fried has been — now owning the lowest ERA through a Yankees pitcher’s first seven starts in franchise history — the evening’s most significant moment belonged to someone else.

Beyond the box score

Williams’ April was nothing short of disastrous. He surrendered runs in five of his first eight appearances, while his command — typically his defining attribute — abandoned him. The fanbase turned hostile. Media scrutiny intensified. Sports radio erupted with criticism.

His stellar track record with Milwaukee suddenly meant nothing. In the Bronx, where memories are fleeting and failure is magnified, one bad outing raises eyebrows, two create concern, and three ignite outrage.

Boone, with extensive experience as both player and manager, understands this volatility better than most. But he also recognizes that seasons aren’t defined by April performances alone.

Boone acknowledged that Williams went through a particularly difficult period, but reminded everyone that baseball is a long season. He emphasized that Williams remains an integral part of the team and praised the reliever for continuing to work hard despite his struggles.

Expectations ahead

No guarantee exists that Williams will immediately reclaim the closer designation. Nor is there any urgency to force that transition. What Friday provided was tangible evidence — for fans, teammates, and Williams himself — that his elite ability remains intact. His composure is returning. The self-doubt is fading.

In a contest statistically highlighted by Fried’s continued excellence, the emotional core centered on a pitcher gradually rebuilding trust on his home turf.

Fried may be the undisputed ace, potentially starting Games 1, 3, 5, and 7 should the Yankees face the Rays in October. But if they reach that stage, Devin Williams will need to play a crucial role throughout the journey.

And if Friday’s performance offered any indication, he appears ready to embrace that challenge.

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