Devin Williams implodes again as Yankees fall to Blue Jays

Gary Phillips, New York Daily News on Apr 25, 2025

Published in Baseball

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NEW YORK — With two Toronto Blue Jays already on, nobody out and the Yankees clinging to a 2-1 lead in the ninth inning, the Bronx faithful began begging for Luke Weaver on Friday night.

“We want Weaver,” the crowd demanded with Devin Williams on the mound.

The embattled closer went on to surrender a two-run double to Alejandro Kirk. With two hits, one hit-by-pitch and zero outs recorded, Williams then left the mound to a vicious chorus of boos as Aaron Boone summoned Mark Leiter Jr. — not Weaver — from the bullpen.

Leiter then allowed an RBI single to Addison Barger to make it a 4-2 game. The score held from there as Toronto won the season’s first matchup between the division rivals.

Williams’ latest implosion— he has an 11.25 ERA to start his Yankees career — followed a small eighth-inning rally from the Yankees, as Austin Wells broke a 1-1 tie with a line drive sac fly.

Earlier, Carlos Carrasco twirled his finest start as a Yankee thus far, holding Toronto scoreless over five innings. The veteran known as “Cookie” has crumbled as he’s approached 75 pitches this season, so Carrasco departed after 67 offerings, but he only permitted three hits while tallying two walks and two strikeouts.

It was a valiant effort from the right-hander, who entered Friday’s game with the third-worst Stuff+ among pitchers who have thrown at least 20 innings this season.

With Carrasco out of the game in the sixth, Vladimir Gurrero Jr proceeded to launch Tim Hill’s third pitch of the game into Yankee Stadium’s visiting bullpen. It was the newly-minted $500 million-man’s second home run of the season.

Like their AL East foe, the Yankees didn’t score until a reliever took the mound, as José Berríos threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings for the Jays. However, Anthony Volpe, who entered the game with a .198 average, started the seventh with a double off of Brendon Little. Oswaldo Cabrera then brought the shortstop home with a single.

The Yankees had other opportunities to score, but they went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 men.

With the Yankees’ first clash with the Blue Jays over and done with, the potential for another pitching duel awaits on Saturday.

Max Fried, who has a 1.42 ERA to begin his Yankees career, will take the ball for the Bombers. Meanwhile, Kevin Gausman, the owner of a 3.16 ERA, will start for Toronto.

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