CHICAGO — Devin Williams nearly derailed the New York Yankees’ momentum Saturday night, giving up a late lead before David Bednar and a dramatic 11th-inning surge salvaged a 5-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The win kept New York’s season-high streak alive at seven games and extended their run of road victories to nine, their longest since 1998. It also pulled the Yankees closer in the American League East race, keeping the pressure on the Toronto Blue Jays.
Williams’ meltdown exposes ongoing struggles
Devin Williams entered in the seventh protecting a 2-1 advantage but quickly put the game at risk. Curtis Mead led off with a double, and after striking out Brooks Baldwin, Williams allowed Chase Meidroth to line a game-tying RBI single.
The sequence marked his fourth blown save of 2025 and pushed his ERA to 4.99. It was another reminder of why manager Aaron Boone has twice stripped him of the closer’s role this year.
Williams did retire the next two batters, but the damage had already undone Cam Schlittler’s strong start. Once acquired from Milwaukee to anchor the late innings, Williams has instead produced a 5.73 ERA in July and entered the night with a 4.50 ERA in August.
Boone removed him from closing duties in April after a 9.00 ERA start and again in June when inconsistency resurfaced. This latest misstep added fresh doubt about his ability to handle big-game moments.
Bednar emerges as turn-around hero
With the game slipping away, David Bednar gave the Yankees exactly what they needed. The right-hander, acquired from Pittsburgh at the deadline, delivered two scoreless frames that kept the game alive.
He worked a clean ninth, then stared down the biggest test of the night in the 10th. With the automatic runner at third and one out, Boone brought in a five-man infield against Lenyn Sosa. Sosa nearly ended it with a slicing drive down the right-field line, but the ball landed foul by inches.
“I was blowing, hoping it would get foul,” catcher Austin Wells said. “I hope other people were blowing too.”
Bednar kept his composure, striking out Sosa and inducing Colson Montgomery to fly out to right. The escape brought the Yankees to the 11th still tied, setting the stage for their bats to respond.
“This was a good win to get. This was a gritty one,” Boone said. “To find a way to get this one done is big.”
Yankees bats deliver clutch 11th-inning rally
The offense, quiet for most of the night, came alive when it mattered. Facing Tyler Alexander, the Yankees pieced together three consecutive opposite-field hits to seize control.
Paul Goldschmidt’s flyout moved the automatic runner to third, and Judge was walked intentionally. Cody Bellinger then dropped a blooper into left, scoring the go-ahead run for a 3-2 lead.
“Stayed inside it and obviously just wanted it to get heavy, wanted it to drop as fast as possible,” Bellinger said.
Chisholm followed with a left-on-left double down the third-base line, a swing Boone praised.
“Jazz’s swing was excellent, because Alexander is tough left-on-left,” Boone said. “Really good swing going the other way there.”
Volpe capped the outburst with another opposite-field double, this one down the right-field line, making it 5-2. In one inning, the Yankees doubled their hit total from the first 10 frames combined.
Doval closes door despite early struggles
Camilo Doval, another trade deadline addition, was handed the 11th to finish it. The White Sox scored once as the automatic runner came home on Will Robertson’s groundout, trimming it to 5-3. But Doval struck out Edgar Quero to seal his first save in pinstripes.
It was his 16th save overall this season, with 15 coming for San Francisco before the deal. Though he allowed one run, the ability to secure the final outs offered a glimpse of the reliability New York sought when they brought him in.
Williams’ job security in question
For Williams, the outing continued a season-long pattern. He opened 2025 with a 9.00 ERA in April, rebounded briefly with a 0.93 ERA in June, but has faltered since. His overall mark now sits at 4.91 with a 1.11 WHIP, numbers that pale in comparison to the Yankees’ new bullpen arms.
Bednar brought a 2.45 ERA and 20 saves from Pittsburgh, while Doval had posted 15 saves with San Francisco. Other relievers have also been more effective: Tim Hill (2.83 ERA), Mark Leiter Jr. (4.22 ERA), and Fernando Cruz (2.78 ERA). Boone’s options are widening, making Williams’ role in October increasingly uncertain.
Playoff implications intensify
The win stretched the New York Yankees’ streak to seven and pulled them within two games of the division-leading Blue Jays. Just a week ago, they trailed by 6.5. The Yankees also maintain a 1.5-game cushion over Boston for the top AL Wild Card.
Saturday’s victory was also their ninth straight on the road, tying their longest such run since 1998, when they last strung together nine away from Yankee Stadium.
“We’re playing well. We’ve got to keep it going,” Boone said. “We’ll enjoy it here for five minutes, and it’s another big one tomorrow.”
The Yankees have now taken 14 of their last 18, turning a shaky midseason stretch into a push for their first division crown since 2019.
Bullpen questions linger as season tightens
Saturday’s game underscored both the volatility and promise of the Yankees bullpen. Williams faltered again, but Bednar and Doval showcased the poise New York needs in late innings. The acquisitions proved decisive in a win that kept the team’s surge intact.
As the Yankees eye October, the question remains whether Boone will continue to trust Williams in pressure spots or lean more heavily on Bednar, Doval, and other reliable arms.
For now, the Yankees will savor another gritty road win, one that highlighted resilience, timely hitting, and bullpen reinforcements stepping up when it mattered most.
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