Yankees reliever Devin Williams shines under pressure in 10th-inning firestorm and saves the 4-3 win.
NEW YORK — Devin Williams needed this one — and so did the New York Yankees.
With the crowd at Yankee Stadium holding its collective breath and whispers of his early-season struggles lingering, the Yankees’ embattled reliever delivered his most electric and redemptive outing in pinstripes. Williams walked the tightrope in the 10th inning Wednesday night, escaping a bases-loaded jam without surrendering a run and setting the stage for a 4-3 walk-off win over the San Diego Padres.
It wasn’t perfect. It was gutsy. And it was exactly what both Williams and the Yankees needed as they continue searching for stability in late innings.
A defining moment in the Bronx
Called upon in a tie game with a runner automatically placed on second, Williams was thrust into a crucible. Luke Weaver, filling in as closer, had already recorded five crucial outs. Manager Aaron Boone handed the 10th over to him — a high-stakes decision given his recent form and a ballooned ERA of 9.24 entering the night.
Facing the top of San Diego’s order, Williams delivered.
“That’s what he is,” Boone said. “That’s what he’s capable of.”
The Yankees’ closer started by striking out Fernando Tatis Jr. on a mix of fastballs and changeups. But the inning quickly intensified. Brandon Lockridge stole third base, placing the go-ahead run 90 feet away. Then came a walk to Luis Arraez, followed by a swinging strikeout of Manny Machado.
Just one out away, Williams added even more drama, hitting Jackson Merrill to load the bases. Then, with the game on the line and boos threatening to erupt once more, he struck out Xander Bogaerts on a wicked full-count changeup.
The right-hander screamed into his glove, clenched his fist, and walked off the mound like a man exorcising months of frustration.
“I kind of blacked out, which is a good thing,” Williams admitted postgame. “I was completely locked in.”
A much-needed redemption for Williams
It was a stark contrast from just two nights earlier, when Williams allowed three earned runs in the eighth inning of a Yankees loss to the same Padres. That outing had fans questioning his role, especially after losing the closer’s job in April.
Wednesday night felt like a turning point — not only for Williams’ confidence but also for how he’s perceived by a Bronx crowd that doesn’t forget, but does forgive with results.
“I’ve felt good for my last five outings,” Williams said. “Mentally and physically, I’m where I need to be.”
The Yankees rally behind their bullpen
Williams’ performance was the capstone to a gritty, come-from-behind win. The Yankees didn’t record a hit until the seventh inning when Cody Bellinger launched a solo homer to break up Dylan Cease’s no-hit bid. Then Trent Grisham tied the game in the eighth with a pinch-hit two-run blast — his 10th of the season — after Oswaldo Cabrera drew a leadoff walk.
After Williams shut the door in the top of the 10th, Jasson Domínguez started on second as the automatic runner. Cabrera laid down a textbook bunt to move him to third, and J.C. Escarra delivered a game-winning sacrifice fly to left, securing the Yankees’ first walk-off win of 2025.
“That’s the kind of fight we have in this room,” Grisham said. “Every game in this series, we were behind. And every time, we kept coming back.”
Bigger than a win
For Williams, Wednesday wasn’t just a scoreless inning. It was about reclaiming trust — from the manager, the fanbase, and, perhaps most importantly, himself.
“I’m not going to say I’ll never have a bad outing again,” Williams said. “But I know I can get the job done.”
The Yankees have now won two straight in dramatic fashion, capturing a critical series over the Padres. They’re fighting for consistency in a division that remains wide open, and moments like this could shape their season’s trajectory.
With players like Fried setting the tone, Grisham and Bellinger delivering timely power, and now Williams stepping back into a high-leverage role with renewed command, the New York Yankees are starting to look like the contender many expected.
As May rolls on, the Bronx is watching. And for the first time in a while, Devin Williams is ready for the spotlight.
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