Yankees’ Devin Williams feels he’s ‘getting closer’ after latest debacle versus Tigers

DETROIT — Devin Williams has his beard back, but he’s still searching for the rest of himself. 

The Yankees closer has not had the smoothest of landings with his new team four outings into the season, including Wednesday, when he needed to be bailed out by Mark Leiter Jr. to avoid blowing a four-run lead in a 4-3 win over the Tigers at Comerica Park. 

“I’m still figuring stuff out,” Williams said after giving up three runs on two walks and two hits while recording two outs in the ninth inning. “I haven’t felt like 100 percent myself up to this point, but I would say I’m getting closer, for sure.” 

Asked if that meant something physically, Williams said he was “fine,” but that he just needed game reps and better execution to settle into a groove. 

Williams has not yet had a clean inning in any of his four appearances, giving up five runs (four earned) on five hits and four walks while striking out five across three innings.

He played with fire in an Opening Day save against the Brewers, gave up the game-winning hit in the 11th inning against the Pirates on Sunday and then almost blew Wednesday’s win. 

“I’m confident this is going to be a distant memory as we continue to move forward, because he’s not that far off,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Just a little bit better strike throwing and once he starts doing that and dictating counts, then you’re going to see it, because the stuff’s not far off. He’ll be fine. He’ll get through this, just early part of the season.” 

Williams entered Wednesday’s game in the ninth inning with the Yankees up 4-0 and loaded the bases with two outs on a single and two walks.

One run came in when he spiked a changeup that got past Austin Wells, then two more scored on Zach McKinstry’s single. 

With Williams at 33 pitches, Boone pulled him and called on Leiter (after Luke Weaver had pitched a scoreless eighth), who got the final out on two pitches. 

“Devin’s the best closer in the league, no question about it, so come in with a chance to pick him up as he’s going to pick us up all year,” Leiter said. 

Boone pointed to Williams not yet pitching much as having something to do with it — he went over a week between his first and second outing after going on the paternity list for three days.

Williams said it just came down to getting ahead in counts and having better location with his fastball and changeup. 

“It’s hard as a reliever to do stuff in between outings,” Williams said. “But this isn’t the first time I’ve started the season off on the wrong foot. All you can do is keep working.”