Devin Williams Escapes Latest Jam, Shuts Down Blue Jays' Heart of Order in Yankees' 4-3 Win

Devin Williams navigated the heart of the Toronto Blue Jays' lineup and delivered a key scoreless eighth inning as the New York Yankees held on for a 4-3 victory Sunday at Yankee Stadium, pulling within two games of first place.

Williams entered in the top of the eighth with the Yankees clinging to a one-run lead and promptly fell behind on his first pitch, which went to the backstop on a swing by pinch hitter Addison Barger. Barger reached with a single and then stole second before Williams faced Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who had been scorching the ball in recent games. Williams struck Guerrero out on a 3-2 changeup for the inning's first out, then induced a groundout from Alejandro Kirk. After walking Ernie Clement, Williams got Ty France on a ground ball to third to strand the tying run.

"He had to go through the heart [of the order]," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "He has been unlucky. He’s had some tough games and some tough moments, but he has the ability to get really good hitters out in big spots. Today was huge."

Williams, who has struggled at times in his first season with the Yankees after being among the game's elite relievers in Milwaukee, said he relied on the changeup he trusts. "I was attacking the zone … trying to get him to hit something on the right side there," Williams said of the Guerrero at-bat. "That’s what I do. I’m gonna throw it no matter what, no matter what the count is. I always have a lot of confidence in it."

Max Fried delivered seven strong innings for New York, and Williams' steady eighth set up David Bednar to close out the ninth in relief for a bullpen that has underperformed expectations but showed signs of settling in. Bednar and Williams combined to throw two shutout innings Sunday, following a bullpen outing Saturday in which Luke Weaver, Fernando Cruz and Bednar combined for three scoreless frames after Luis Gil's start.

Williams acknowledged the unit's uneven season but said momentum can turn quickly if pitchers get hot at the right time. "As a unit, we’re a lot better than the results we’ve been getting," he said. "All it takes is for everyone to get hot at the right time and it’s gonna be a lockdown bullpen."

The win kept the Yankees in a tight divisional race as they pursue a postseason position. The Blue Jays had threatened in the eighth but left the tying run on base; their scoring had been paced earlier by Guerrero, who entered the inning riding a multi-hit stretch but was locked down by Williams' changeup.

Williams' outing also marked a rebound after an earlier poor appearance in Houston on Wednesday, when he allowed multiple runs. The right-hander has shown flashes of the form that made him a top reliever in Milwaukee, but his performance has been uneven since joining New York. Manager Boone highlighted Williams' ability to be effective in high-leverage spots despite recent struggles.

Following Sunday’s game, the Yankees will look to maintain the momentum from their bullpen and starters as the regular season approaches its final weeks. Williams and Bednar's two shutout frames capped a game in which starting pitching and late-inning relief combined to keep New York within striking distance in the division.