Devin Williams can’t escape misery again as Yankees lose crusher in extras to Astros

Aaron Boone already had used Yerry De los Santos, Camilo Doval and Luke Weaver to cover four scoreless innings. Weaver, his ninth-inning reliever, had thrown 19 pitches while pitching on a fourth day out of seven, and the manager did not want to risk the health of an invaluable arm by asking for another frame.

He could not turn to David Bednar, who expended 42 pitches Wednesday.

He did not want to turn to Mark Leiter Jr., who was recently activated from the injured list and pitched Tuesday and Wednesday.

A righty pocket of hitters was due up, thus eliminating Tim Hill from the discussion.

There was one reliever who might not have made sense but made the most sense to Boone — a pitcher who shortly afterward would say, “I stink right now.”

Devin Williams took over in a quality, tense and tie game in which the Yankees had erased a two-run deficit and proceeded to throw it away once again.

The polarizing, struggling and perhaps shell-shocked righty entered in the 10th inning to a reception that might generously be referred to as groans and exited to boos that rivaled the reaction to Jose Altuve, imploding in what became a 5-3 loss Friday to the Astros in front of a sellout crowd of 46,027 angry fans in The Bronx.

Between a miserable road trip and a poor start to this home stand, the Yankees (61-55) have dropped six of seven, each seemingly more devastating than the last.

“I’m not making pitches. It’s pretty simple,” said Williams, who immediately showed either a lack of poise or a lack of command, his first pitch bounced to the backstop to move the automatic runner to third. Carlos Correa then took advantage of a drawn-in infield and singled up the middle for the go-ahead run.

The Yankees caught a break when Yainer Diaz’s drive off the right field wall led to an out — right fielder Amed Rosario crashed against the wall and remained down for several moments, and Christian Walker, who began the play at first base, retreated believing the ball to be caught — but that break was forgotten a batter later.

With two outs in the frame, (briefly) former Yankee Taylor Trammell drilled a home run into the right field seats to essentially clinch a game that left Williams reeling, wildly unpopular in his home ballpark and owning a 5.73 ERA.

“The [changeup] to Trammell was terrible,” said Williams, who blew games Monday and Tuesday in Texas and has allowed at least a run in five consecutive appearances.

Boone said he has wanted to find “softer landing spots” for Williams, but consistent lack of distance from his rotation — Cam Schlittler lasted five, two-run innings Friday — required him to try to piece together five innings from his bullpen, and he ran out of pitchers.

The pitcher he turned to has allowed 28 earned runs in 44 innings this season.

As arguably the best closer in baseball the past three seasons, Williams allowed a total of 26 earned runs.

His command — the changeup to Trammell was in the middle of the plate — is an issue. As likely is his confidence.

“I’m not saying [my confidence is] as high as it’s ever been,” he said.

The Yankees scored once against Josh Hader in the bottom of the inning on an Anthony Volpe single, but the potential tying run in Paul Goldschmidt (a fly out) and the potential winning run in Trent Grisham (a line out) could not come through.

Fans will target Williams, who came undone in a season in which he has come undone far too many times.

But the Yankees would not have needed a 10th inning or Williams if their offense had a pulse for most of the contest.

Ben Rice doubled in the first inning for the Yankees, who then watched AL Cy Young candidate Hunter Brown sit down the next 14 hitters.

A trace of life arrived in the sixth, when the Yankees used three hits — including RBI singles from Rice and Aaron Judge — to tie the game.

The Yankees consistently find themselves in close or tie games, nine of their past 12 decided by two runs or fewer.

Which means too many are being decided by Williams.

“I’m close,” Williams said. “It’s come down to essentially one mistake and making me pay for it.”