MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Brewers couldn’t have set things up any better for themselves as they headed into the ninth inning of the deciding game in their NL Wild Card Series.
They owned a 2-0 lead over the New York Mets. They had retired 12 consecutive Mets batters. And they had two-time NL reliever of the year Devin Williams coming out of the bullpen.
Then everything fell apart in stunningly swift fashion.
Williams, who had allowed just three runs all year, gave up four in the ninth inning of a 4-2 loss that ended the Brewers’ season. Pete Alonso’s three-run homer off the All-Star closer put the Mets ahead for good.
“We worked all year to get to this point,” Williams said. “They got me a two-run lead there in the ninth. That’s how we draw it up. And I couldn’t come through for the boys. No one feels worse than I do.”
One night after Williams retired the side in order to save a 5-3 victory in Game 2, it quickly became apparent he wasn’t his usual self.
He walked Francisco Lindor on a full-count pitch leading off the ninth. After striking out Mark Vientos, the right-hander gave up a single to Brandon Nimmo on an 0-2 changeup that put runners at the corners.
“He’s one of the best relievers in the game,” Nimmo said. “He has an unbelievable changeup and great fastball, and he locates well. Honestly, you’re trying to be short and you’re trying to find the barrel however you can.”
That brought Alonso to the plate.
Williams fell behind 3-1 in the count, then Alonso drove a changeup over the right-field wall to put the Mets ahead by one.
“It could have been better, but it wasn’t the worst pitch I’ve ever thrown,” Williams said. “I wanted to go away with it, and I got it there, but it was a good piece of hitting.”
Williams remained in the game but continued to struggle and couldn’t prevent the Mets from adding an insurance run. With two outs, Jesse Winker was hit by a pitch, stole second and came home on Starling Marte’s single.
At that point, the Brewers finally removed Williams and had Joe Ross get the last out of the ninth.
“I’m not going to make any excuses,” Williams said. “I didn’t get the job done when I needed to. They executed well, and I didn’t.”
Williams’ uncharacteristic struggles put a dispiriting coda on what had been a triumphant season for him.
After spending the first four months recovering from stress fractures in his back, Williams returned near the end of July and was as dominant as ever.
“He goes out there every day, ready to shut the door,” shortstop Willy Adames said. “Today was not the day for him. Unfortunately, today, he couldn’t execute, but that’s baseball. You can’t execute every day. Some days, it’s not going to be the best, and unfortunately it was today. But he’s one of the best, if not the best, in the game and I’ll go with him every day.”
Williams posted a 1.25 ERA during the regular season while striking out 38 batters in 21 2/3 innings and converting 14 saves in 15 opportunities. He had allowed only one homer all year, to Atlanta’s Jarred Kelenic on Aug. 7. Counting that Game 2 save, Williams had been unscored upon in his last 14 appearances.
That’s what made this ninth-inning collapse so shocking.
“I told him, out of this disappointment, out of this situation, you will grow,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “You will rise again, and something good will come out of it somehow.”
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