Yankees starting pitchers have combined for eight innings in which they have given up 15 runs in three ALDS games.
And yet they are still alive partly because of Aaron Judge and partly because the arms who followed Carlos Rodón on Tuesday night were up to the task — and in one case, up to a task that he had not undertaken in two years.
“It’s all hands on deck right now,” said Devin Williams, who notched more than three outs in a game for the first time since Sept. 1, 2023.
Five Yankees relievers were called upon — Fernando Cruz, Camilo Doval, Tim Hill, a lengthy Williams and a gutsy David Bednar — and all answered the call in piecing together 6 ²/₃ scoreless innings in a 9-6 comeback victory over the Blue Jays in The Bronx.
When Rodón was pulled trailing 6-1, the Yankees were 21 outs from elimination.
“I think everybody knows what the task at hand [is],” Bednar said.
“Stop the bleeding,” Cruz added. “We attacked them and let our guys do the job.”
The Yankees lineup came alive as the bullpen recorded the final 20 outs, surrendering just three hits, walking none and striking out nine.
Cruz inherited a jam from Rodón and stranded a runner. He allowed a two-out single to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the fourth, and Doval — an option who had lost Boone’s faith in the regular season — induced a groundout from Alejandro Kirk to escape.
After Judge tied the game with his three-run homer in the fourth, and the bullpen ensured the offensive outburst would matter.
Hill inherited a runner on second from Doval in the fifth and struck out Addison Barger.
“We just did what we were supposed to,” said Hill.
Williams pitched in 67 games this season with the Yankees and never was asked for a second inning. After a 16-pitch seventh inning — which included becoming the first pitcher to retire Guerrero on the night — Williams returned for the eighth, in which he let up a single to Ernie Clement and then struck out Anthony Santander.
Instead, when manager Aaron Boone told him, “We may need you for more here,” Williams was on board.
A pitcher who has not been popular in The Bronx then walked off the mound to a standing ovation as Bednar jogged in from the bullpen.
“That’s awesome,” Williams said. “It was definitely a lot better than what I’ve heard for much of the year.”
Williams passed the baton to Bednar, who had never pitched in the postseason before this October and who induced a couple ground outs to strand Clement in the eighth before the tensest three outs of the game against the top of the lineup.
George Springer swung through a splitter. Nathan Lukes stared at a splitter that nipped the top of the zone. And Guerrero grounded out to a diving Amed Rosario at third base, Bednar embracing Austin Wells as an exhale was allowed in The Bronx.
“You want those shutdown innings, especially after the offense gets the momentum,” Bednar said, “and just kind of keep handing the ball off.”
— Additional reporting by Dan Martin
