Devin Williams’ debut season with the New York Yankees has already been a rollercoaster, and Wednesday night added another low point. In a tense matchup against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park, the right-hander not only struggled on the mound but also experienced the first ejection of his career.
Called in during the eighth inning with the score tied 4-4, Williams quickly found himself in trouble. He loaded the bases and then walked Taylor Trammell, handing Houston the go-ahead run. Frustration boiled over soon after, leading to heated exchanges over the strike zone. Both Williams and Yankees manager Aaron Boone were tossed from the game by home plate umpire Brian Walsh.
Camilo Doval came in to replace Williams, but things didn’t improve. The reliever gave up an RBI single, committed a balk with the bases loaded, and uncorked a wild pitch that added another run to the Astros’ tally. Despite a late push, the Yankees fell 8-7, marking their second loss in three games.
Williams Frustrated With Strike Zone Calls
After the game, Williams didn’t hold back his thoughts on what went wrong.
I mean, when you’re making good pitches, which I was, not getting those calls really changes the course of an at-bat, he said in a postgame interview, pointing to what he believed was an inconsistent strike zone.
He explained how the inning unraveled from there:
“Obviously, [Carlos] Correa hit the double, so I kind of had my back against the wall right away. Made some really good pitches to [Jesus] Sanchez, which he missed two in that at-bat.
But yeah, I mean, I competed, but, you know, I don’t know, it’s just ridiculous to have the inning that I had and then for us to, you know, Jazz [Chisholm Jr.] got the bat taken out of his hands on a pitch that was a lot further from the zone than pitches I was making.”
First Career Ejection Adds to Rough Season
Williams also revealed exactly what sparked his ejection.
“I said I had four that you missed, and he threw me out for it. Never been ejected in my career.”
The 30-year-old reliever’s season stats reflect his struggles. Through 58 appearances, he holds a 3-6 record with a 5.60 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP across 53 innings. For Williams, Wednesday was not only another difficult outing but also a lesson in patience and one he hopes won’t be repeated any time soon.
