“Get this clown off the team” - Fans outraged as Devin Williams' implosion sinks Yankees

New York Yankees closer Devin Williams drew the ire of Yankees fans on Friday after his disastrous performance contributed to a 5-3 loss in the series opener against the Houston Astros.

Williams, who has struggled for his new team this season, was put on the mound by Yankees manager Aaron Boone in the 10th inning with the score tied at 2-2. He conceded three runs with a home run as the Astros took a 5-2 lead in the top of the 10th inning.

The All-Star closer's implosion in extra innings infuriated Yankees fans.

"Get this clown off the team," a frustrated fan wrote.

Several fans lashed out at Aaron Boone for putting Devin Williams on the mound with the game on the line.

After the three runs (two earned) on Friday, Devin Williams is now 3-5 with a 5.73 ERA for the season. He has conceded eight runs in his last five outings in 4.2 IP

Yankees manager Aaron Boone explains his decision to put Devin Williams on the mound

While the Yankees fans blamed manager Aaron Boone for putting Devin Williams on the mound with the game tied at 2-2, the skipper said he had limited options.

"We're kind of short down there at that point," Boone said after the game. "You get five innings out of the starter. You're trying to get back in it and get through and staying away from (David) Bednar today. So, then you're probably even lighter. You're down to lefties and then it's that little right lane there for Devin. So, didn't work out tonight."

Boone reflected on the two-time NL Reliever of the Year's performance with two games remaining in the series.

"Yeah, I mean, look -- it's no fun," Boone said "It's tough. But, again, he can hopefully lean on he's been there -- he's been down that road before a little bit, too.

"He's been through some struggles and come out on the other side and found some real consistency for a couple of months. So, hopefully, he can draw on that as we move forward here."

The Yankees have now lost five of their last six games, sliding to third in the AL Wild Card standings.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash