It was a frustrating night for the Yankees after they blew a late three-run lead in their 8-7 loss to the Astros on Wednesday night.
But while both teams traded blows in what felt like a playoff preview, the game will be remembered by the meltdown eighth inning by the Yankees, which was pushed to Houston's favor by what the team called an "inconsistent" strike zone from homeplate umpire Brian Walsh.
With the score tied at 4-4, Devin Williams was called upon to keep Houston down when he allowed a leadoff double to Carlos Correa. But a walk to Jesus Sanchez, with two questionable ball calls in the at-bat, put Williams in a bind. The right-hander then bounced back by striking out Yainer Diaz before walking Christian Walker to load the bases. Ramon Urias struck out swinging, bringing Taylor Trammell to the plate as the game-defining at-bat.
Trammell worked the count to 2-0, but Williams seemingly dotted the inside corner for a strike that Walsh called a ball, setting up a 3-0 count. Trammell would eventually walk on five pitches, pushing across the go-ahead run.
Manager Aaron Boone pulled Williams afterward and the reliever said a few words to Walsh as he walked back to the dugout. What Williams said prompted the first ejection of Williams' career.
"I already looked at [the replays]," Williams said after the game. "[Walsh] definitely missed four [pitches] and I told him, and he threw me out for it."
Boone would also be ejected after the skipper chirped at Walsh while walking back to the dugout.
Aaron Boone gets ejected from tonight’s game. pic.twitter.com/HJD6Fr4ezk
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Camilo Doval relieved Williams, and he allowed a single before balking in a run and throwing a wild pitch that plated another as the inning got out of hand.
Boone called the eighth "tough" and said there were some close pitches but gave credit to the Astros for putting together good at-bats against starter Will Warren and the bullpen in the second half of the game as the reason the game got away from the Yankees.
When asked about Walsh's strike zone, the Yankees skipper agreed that it was inconsistent but again credited Houston for the comeback.
"I thought it was maybe a little inconsistent. This is more we had a lead, had a couple of chances to add on and the Astros put some good at-bats together," he said. "They were squaring up good pitches against us in the second half of the game. Outslasted us."
Austin Wells was asked after the game whether the strike zone changed as the game went on, and the Yankees backstop took a beat but was candid.
"Yes. I would say yes," he said.
That wasn't more evident than in the ninth inning. After Cody Bellinger's three-run shot cut the Astros' lead to 8-7, Jazz Chisholm Jr. struck out looking on a pitch that seemed to be a bit outside to end the game. Chisholm had some words with Walsh after the game was over.
Williams understands that missed calls are a part of the game and pitchers are supposed to push past it, but admitted that it's difficult to accept when it "changes outcomes."
"When you’re making good pitches, which I was, not getting those calls really changes the course of an at-bat," Williams said. "Correa hit the double, so I had my back against the wall right away. made some really good pitches to Sanchez, which he missed two in that at-bat. I competed but…I don’t know.
"It’s just ridiculous to have the inning that I had and then Jazz got the bat taken out of his hands on a pitch that was a lot further from the zone than pitches I was making.”
"He had the right to be frustrated. Felt like there was definitely some calls that we would have loved to go our way," Wells said of Williams. "The game, mistakes, is what it is. We go back, watch video, try to get better. I hope that those guys are going to do the same."
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