NEW YORK – Waiting in the wings, new Yankees closer Devin Williams was ready to unleash his famous “Airbender’’ changeup against his old team.
Arriving to protect a three-run lead on a cool, clear Opening Day at Yankee Stadium, Williams wobbled Thursday afternoon before saving a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
A somewhat subdued crowd of 46,208 fans became agitated as Williams loaded the bases with none out, gave up a run on a sacrifice fly and faced runners at second and third.
But for the fifth time Thursday, Brewers’ leadoff hitter Jackson Chourio struck out, and Williams struck out the dangerous Christian Yelich on a full-count fastball to end it.
This was the first day of the Yankees’ Post-Juan Soto era, which lasted one year and brought one pennant to the Bronx – the first since 2009.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
While the wondrously talented Soto made his debut with the Mets in Houston on Thursday, the Yankees used solo home runs by Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe to fuel a victory.
As the first catcher in Yankees’ history to hit out of the leadoff spot, Wells opened the home first with a homer off Freddy Peralta and Volpe connected in the second, and the Yanks tacked on two in the seventh.
Making his second career Opening Day start, Carlos Rodon pitched into the sixth and yielded just a solo home run, and three relievers bridged it to Williams.
Here was our live analysis and observations throughout the game:
Nearing the ninth
Terrific changeup by Luke Weaver to fan Sal Frelick to end the Brewer eighth, stranding a runner at first to keep the Yanks ahead, 4-1.
If Milwaukee reliever Tyler Alexander keeps the Yanks off the board here in the home eighth, it’s the Devin Williams Show in the ninth, trying for his first save of 2025 (vs. his old team, too).
Another window into Aaron Boone’s late game strategy
Here comes Luke Weaver and there goes Jasson Dominguez to start the eighth.
With the Yanks leading 4-1, Aaron Boone makes a defensive change, bringing in Trent Grisham to play center and moving Cody Bellinger to left, replacing Dominguez.
The Yankees will have a sounder defensive team this year, though Dominguez’s shaky play in left field is something to watch.
And clearly, Boone is showing he wants his best defensive alignment out there to protect a late-game lead.
Yankees’ end game
Nice job by Mark Leiter Jr., pitching a fast seventh inning, ending with a strikeout on his signature splitter, preserving a 2-1 Yankee lead.
It’s Luke Weaver standing by to pitch the eighth and Devin Williams for the ninth.
And here in the home seventh, a bit of luck as Aaron Judge’s grounder strikes the third base bag and goes for an RBI single, putting runners at the corners for Cody Bellinger…
…who delivers a shallow sac fly to right, with Oswaldo Cabrera scoring. It’s 4-1, Yanks.
The bullpen plan
Yanks still clinging to a 2-1 lead moving into the Brewer seventh.
First glance at Aaron Boone’s bullpen strategy, and it’s not Fernando Cruz getting this call, it’s Mark Leiter Jr.
We know who’s getting the eighth (Luke Weaver) and ninth (Devin Williams) and we’ll see if Weaver is brought on for any part of this seventh inning if Leiter Jr. runs into trouble.
Escape!
Bases loaded and Tim Hill battles pinch-hitter Isaac Collins, getting him to ground into a narrow force at second base to sustain the Yanks’ 2-1 lead in the sixth.
First hold of the year, and it could be critical for the Yanks to win on Opening Day.
Day is done for Carlos Rodon
And he gets a nice ovation from the Stadium crowd, walking off with runners at first and second, one out in the sixth inning and fellow lefty Tim Hill in to protect a 2-1 lead and face lefty-hitting Sal Frelick.
Rodon just lost Rhys Hoskins to a walk in a 10-pitch battle. Now, the Yanks’ Opening Day fate in the hands of their bullpen.
What is Carlos Rodon’s limit today?
As the sixth inning begins (2-1, Yanks), Mark Leiter Jr. has started warming up in the Yanks’ bullpen.
This could be Carlos Rodon’s last inning, and he just walked Christian Yelich to start the frame. He’s now at 75 pitches.
Rodon threw 77 pitches in his last exhibition start, March 21. Tim Hill also warming up now.
Big opportunity for No. 99
It was a quiet spring training for Aaron Judge (4-for-33), who hit one homer during the exhibition season.
And who really cares about the exhibition season, but everyone takes notice of No. 99’s performance at any time, and here’s his first big spot of the new season: Runners at first and second, two out, fifth inning vs. Freddy Peralta…
…and Judge is late, swinging through a high, 2-2 fastball. Still 2-1 Yanks.
Looking ahead: Devin Williams
It’s still 2-1, Yanks, with Carlos Rodon looking sharp through five innings. And if it stays close, Devin Williams might get a shot at his first save attempt in pinstripes – against his old team.
Milwaukee became very familiar with Williams’ famous Airbender changeup, the weapon he’ll be deploying at the Stadium during this, his free agent walk year.
Of course, here in New York we remember – and Williams would like to forget – his last appearance of the 2024 season, when Pete Alonso belted a go-ahead homer in what became the Mets’ Wild Card Series clincher.
It was the only homer against Williams’ changeup all of last season.
A slight Carlos Rodon scare
If you’re the Yankees, the last thing you want to see is a starter being visited by a team athletic trainer.
Rodon gave the bench a scare, tumbling as he covered first base on Sal Frelick’s fourth-inning infield hit, and wincing as he walked back to the mound.
After throwing a warm-up pitch, Rodon said he was fine, then proved it by getting out of the inning – making a good play on a squib in front of the mound to end the Brewers’ fourth. It’s still 2-1, Yanks.
Living with the home run ball
It’s understood, Carlos Rodon is susceptible to the home run ball. But if you can generally limit the damage to solo shots, you can live with the risk.
On a 2-2 fastball, Brewers No. 8 hitter Vinny Capra launched his first career homer – a shot to left that has cut the Yanks’ lead to 2-1 in the third inning.
Rodon’s best stat last year was the career-high 32 starts he made; if he’s starting 30 games this year, that probably means he’s productive and it goes a long way toward stabilizing a rotation with injury issues.
Anthony Volpe keeps HR party going
Anthony Volpe’s 25-25 (homers, stolen bases) season is off to a flying start, with a fly ball homer to right, giving the Yanks a 2-0 lead in the second.
That was one of our “bold” preseason predictions, for the new DP combo of Volpe and Jazz Chisholm Jr., to each join the 25-25 club in 2025.
Volpe seemed to show a little more power the opposite way during spring training, and that’s where he sent Freddy Peralta’s 1-and-1 fastball.
First inning, first impressions: Austin Wells’ leadoff HR
Austin Wells, of course, leads off the home first inning with a home run.
He’s the first Yankees catcher to ever lead off in any game – and this is the 123rd season in franchise history.
Wells belted a team-leading six homers during the Grapefruit League season, and he’s just given the Yankees a 1-0 lead off right-handed Milwaukee starter Freddy Peralta.
That came after a neat, 1-2-3 first inning by Carlos Rodon, who got help from second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. – back at his natural position, making a terrific play to his glove side.
At the time, the bleacher crowd was chanting Jazz’s name during the roll call. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt responded to his first Stadium roll call chant with a respectful tip of his cap.
Moment of silence for Miller Gardner
And first, before anything else, the Yankees held a moment of silence for Miller Gardner, the 14-year-old son of Brett Gardner, who passed away last week.
“It’s been devastating. As much as the excitement of today (brings), there’s no question we’ll be playing with heavy hearts today, and playing with Miller in mind,’’ Aaron Boone said before the game.
During his 14 seasons in pinstripes, few players were as respected and beloved as Gardner, for his competitiveness, humor and just being the consummate teammate.
Aaron Boon: ‘Ready to roll’
“We’re ready to roll and to… start finding out how good we are,” said Aaron Boone, set to begin his eighth season as Yankees manager.
As Boone put it, “this is the week of overreaction. If we get off to a really good start, we’re going to win the World Series. We get off to a tough start…
“You want to get into that normalcy as quickly as possible.”
