Mere hours after costing the New York Yankees a crucial playoff-opening loss to their biggest rivals, their bullpen helped keep New York’s season afloat.
Yankees relievers Fernando Cruz, Devin Williams and closer David Bednar combined to throw three shutout innings, enabling their offense to scratch across the game-winning run in the eighth inning of their 4-3 win over the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series.
The Yankees evened the best-of-3 series at a game apiece. The win-or-go-home Game 3 will be Wednesday at Yankee Stadium at 6:08 p.m. ET.
Fernando Cruz ‘Competed’ In Game 2
New York’s bullpen allowed all three runs in its 3-1 loss to Boston in Game 1. Luke Weaver took the loss in the first game, and Bednar surrendered a key insurance run in the ninth inning.
But after Yankees starter Carlos Rodon got through six innings with the score tied at 3, but coughed up leads of 2-0 and 3-2, yet walked the first two batters in the seventh, Yankees manager Aaron Boone went to Fernando Cruz.
Cruz went 3-4 with a 3.56 ERA and struck out 72 in just 48 innings. He became a Yankees fan favorite for his max-effort and emotional performances, and he induced Ceddanne Rafaela to bunt out to him before getting Nick Sogard to fly out to left field for the second out.
“I just try to go out and compete,” Cruz said. “I just grab the ball and just go.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. saved Cruz by keeping Masataka Yoshida’s sharp grounder in front of him, which loaded the bases. Cruz then screamed and pumped his fist after getting budding Yankees nemesis Trevor Story to fly out to the warning track in center field to end the threat.
“That was the play of the game, right there,” Cruz said of Chisholm’s play.
He added that pitching in the playoffs “is something that I’ve been dreaming, that I’ve been imagining since I was a little kid. Emotions [are] gonna come out. I’m an emotional guy. I’m passionate about what I do, and I love what I do.”
Devin Williams Inspires Yankees’ Faith
Devin Williams has been public enemy No. 1 for Yankees fans all season.
The reliever, who the Yankees acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in an off-season blockbuster, had a minus-0.3 bWAR after posting a 4-6 record with a 4.79 ERA and lost his closer role midseason — which Bednar ultimately has taken over.
Yet, Williams has started earning trust back with both Boone and Yankees fans. He picked up the win Wednesday by facing the minimum three batters in the eighth inning, inducing a 1-6-3 double play to Nathaniel Lowe before striking out former Yankees catcher Carlos Narvaez.
It was Williams’ 11th consecutive scoreless outing, and he has pitched to a 2.25 ERA with 35 strikeouts and eight holds in 20 innings over his past 21 appearances since Aug. 8.
“The stuff was never not there,” Boone said. “He was never that far off at any point when he was struggling.
“The final month, month-plus he’s just stacked a lot of good outings. I think he’s just pitching with a lot of confidence, getting in the [strike] zone more and having a presence with both pitches.”
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