Devin Williams, Yankees melt down in chaotic loss to Astros

Gary Phillips, New York Daily News on Sep 3, 2025

Published in Baseball

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HOUSTON — Even in Texas, Devin Williams could not escape the wrath of Yankees fans.

The embattled reliever left the mound to a chorus of boos after being pulled by manager Aaron Boone on Wednesday night, as he walked in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning of what became an 8-7 loss for the Bombers. A meaningless ejection also accompanied Williams’ exit, as he argued balls and strikes with inconsistent home plate umpire Brian Walsh on his way to the showers.

Boone was also tossed by Walsh after calling on Camilo Doval, who proceeded to allow an RBI single to Jeremy Peña before balking in a run. A wild pitch gave Houston another run before the Yankees’ full-blown meltdown came to an end.

Cody Bellinger launched a three-run homer in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough to overcome another Williams low point in a season full of them. While the first-year Yankee had some legitimate gripes with the strike zone, he also put himself in trouble by throwing a fastball over the middle of the plate to Carlos Correa, who led the eighth off with a double. Williams also issued three walks in the inning as the former two-time National League Reliever of the Year saw his ERA inflate to 5.60.

Long before Williams’ latest implosion, Giancarlo Stanton gave the Bombers an early edge, crushing a solo home run to Daikin Park’s train tracks, which sit high above the Crawford Boxes in left field. The blast off Jason Alexander was Stanton’s 18th homer of the season. Austin Wells then added his 20th homer of the season, a two-run jack that ended up in the Crawford Boxes in the fourth frame.

It wasn’t until the fifth that the Astros began their comeback, as they scored their first run off Will Warren after the rookie allowed a Yainer Diaz double, a Victor Caratini single and a Ramón Urías sac fly. The Yankees got the run back in the sixth after Ryan McMahon lined a sac fly, but Houston was far from finished.

The Astros got to Warren again in the sixth, as Peña ended the pitcher’s night after just 67 pitches with a leadoff homer. With Fernando Cruz in, Yordan Alvarez then roped a double with an 80% catch probability over the head of Stanton, who misplayed the ball by taking a step in.

Stanton’s limited defensive capabilities haven’t hurt the Yankees much since he returned to the outfield last month, but he also had a 73% catch probability on Diaz’s fifth-inning double, which led to a run.

With Alvarez on, Cruz then threw a wild pitch before a Jose Altuve grounder to McMahon cut the Yankees’ lead to one. McMahon had a play on Alvarez at the plate, but he opted for the safe out at first base.

The seventh also saw Luke Weaver surrender a game-tying single to Alvarez, who advanced to second on an errant Stanton throw to the plate.

With the Yankees’ three-game set with the Astros now tied up in chaotic fashion, the visitors will try for a series win with Carlos Rodón on the mound Thursday. Cristian Javier will start for Houston.