Devin Williams Blows 8-4 Lead in 9th. Tampa 10 NY 8 in 10

April 20, 2025 paperbacklou 2025 0
Oswaldo Cabrera with a spectacular defensive play in the 9th to start an inning-ending double play -- nabbing a line drive grounder and throwing on his butt to 2nd to start the DP.

The Yanks were leading 8-4 with 1 out and nobody on base in the 9th inning, when the speedy Jose Caballero beat out a grounder to 3rd — Oswaldo Cabrera air-mailing his throw to 1st in his haste to get Caballero out. It was ruled an infield single, and that opened up the floodgates as Ace Reliever Devin Williams blew the save on walks and soft contact hits — sending the game to extra innings where NY lost 10-8 in 10.

On a Saturday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner field in Tampa.

At least the Knicks won their 1st round playoff game against Detroit with 21 straight points in the 4th quarter. That game was at the half when the Yanks imploded.

“Obviously a tough one,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards. “A lot of good things to get us to the finish line, then things didn’t bounce our way there in the 9th. Tough one. Those are going to happen. Dust ourselves off and try to win to have a good series tomorrow.”

“A lot of soft contact,” added Boone about Devin Williams and the 9th. “With Caballero running, Cabby probably laid back on the ball a little bit too much, then the walk to (Ben) Rortvedt, (Chandler) Simpson kind of dunked one in there, and a little soft roller to short that Yandy (Diaz) was able to get down the line. A lot of soft contact. Tough one.”

1. Yanks Take Early 2-0 Lead

It looked like it was going to be a long afternoon for top young starter Shane Baz, who is back for his second season after Tommy John surgery cost him the 2023 campaign.

Baz didn’t have it from the get go as he hit Ben Rice with a pitch leading off the game, then allowed a single to Aaron Judge and an infield single to Austin Wells, loading the bases with nobody out.

He got Paul Goldschmidt to ground into a double play — scoring Rice — and then Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled in another run and it was 2-0 NY.

2. Grisham HR Makes It 3-0

Trent Grisham led off the 2nd with a homer and it was 3-0 NY — and Baz was on the ropes.

But Baz rebounded — getting 3 straight outs including 2 strikeouts to end the 2nd, and working around 2 walks to pitch a shutout 3rd.

3. Yanks Go Up 6-1 in 4th

But the Yanks got to him in the 4th. With 1 out, Baz walked Jasson Dominguez and Oswaldo Cabrera, and hit Ben Rice again with a pitch — loading the bases with 1 out.

Aaron Judge followed with a single to right, driving in 2 and making it 5-1.

Austin Wells followed with a sac fly to right, scoring Rice and it was 6-1 NY.

4. Rice Sent to Hospital for X-Rays on Elbow

Rice would leave the game after the inning, and be sent to the hospital for an MRI on his elbow — hit twice by Baz.

5. Boone Leaves Carrasco In Too Long

Carlos Carrasco was pitching well — up 6-1 in the 4th — when he started to lose it. Caminero led off with a double, and after a groundout, Mangum singled in a run and it was 6-2.

Carrasco got another groundout, but Misner hit a grounds-rule double and it was 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs.

With Ian Hamilton warming in the pen — it seemed like a good time to get Carrasco out of there.

But Boone left him in one batter too long — Ben Rortvedt singled to left scoring 2 and it was 6-4, before Carrasco got a line out to center to end the inning.

6. Hamilton Great in Relief, Helped by Grisham

Boone still didn’t pull Carrasco to start the 5th — instead he allowed a leadoff double to Yandy Diaz before Boone finally pulled him.

Ian Hamilton came in and got Brandon Lowe to hit a shallow fly out to left, keeping the runner at 2nd, then after walking a batter, got a line out for the 2nd out — and then was saved by Trent Grisham — who navigated the STRONG WINDS to make a tremendous catch in left center to end the inning with no runs across.

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And Hamilton pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 6th so the Yanks clung to their 6-4 lead.

7. Leiter Great in Relief

Mark Leiter Jr. did his job — a 1-2-3 shutout 7th — strike out, ground out, line out to Aaron Judge battling the sun in right. And so NY still hung on to their 6-4 lead.

8. Weaver Great in Relief

And Luke Weaver was brilliant as usual — strike out looking, strike out swinging, and ground out for a 1-2-3 inning in the 8th — NY 6 Tampa 4.

9. Yanks Tack on 2 Insurance Runs in 9th

Oswaldo Cabrera walked to leadoff the 9th against the tough Pete Fairbanks, and Jose Reyes — in for Ben Rice — got his first hit of the year to mount a Yankee rally.

Reyes stole 2nd to put runners on 2nd and 3rd, and Aaron Judge singled Cabrera in for a 7-4 Yankee lead.

Fairbanks struck out Austin Wells but Paul Goldschmidt got an infield single scoring Reyes and it was 8-4 NY.

10. Devin Blows 8-4 Lead in 9th

Devin Williams got the first out of the 9th, then hit a grounder to 3rd that Oswaldo Cabrera fielded but threw wide of 1st — initially called an error on the broadcast but ruled an infield hit.

Williams then walked Ben Rortvedt, and allowed a grounds-rule double that dunked into the outfield by Chandler Simpson — his first MLB hit — for an 8-5 game.

Yandy Diaz reached on a soft infield single to shortstop, a run scored and it was 8-6. Walls then ran for Diaz, and stole 2nd to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out — and Brandon Lowe singled them both home for an 8-8 tie.

Finally, Devin Williams got Junior Caminero to ground into a double play, niftly started by Oswaldo Cabrera at 3rd — to end the inning.

11. Yanks Blow Opportunity in Top of 10th

Volpe was the inherited runner to start the 10th. Trent Grisham singled to start the inning — moving Volpe to 3rd with nobody out.

But Edwin Uceta struck out Cody Bellinger and Oswaldo Cabrera, and got J.C. Escarra to fly out to end the threat.

12. Tampa Walks It Off

And in the bottom of the 10th, Yoendrys Gomez allowed a leadoff, walk-off homer to Jonathan Aranda for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401695214

 

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