MILWAUKEE (AP) — Perhaps the biggest addition for any contender around the MLB trade deadline came when the Milwaukee Brewers welcomed back their own star closer from the injured list.
Devin Williams made his 2024 debut on July 28 — two days before the trade deadline — after missing four months while recovering from stress fractures in his back. He already is providing the NL Central-leading Brewers as much of a lift as any of the players acquired in trades by other teams over the last month.
Williams retired the side in order in the ninth inning each of the last two days to help the Brewers earn a four-game split with the Los Angeles Dodgers in a matchup of division leaders.
“It’s awesome to hand the ball to someone like that, who can you put all your trust in,” Brewers pitcher Tobias Myers said.
The Brewers trusted Williams to silence multiple MVPs on back-to-back days. The two-time NL reliever of the year responded both times.
Williams retired Andy Pages on a pop fly and struck out Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani to end Milwaukee’s 6-4 victory on Thursday afternoon. That came about 18 hours after he retired Ohtani, Betts and Freddie Freeman on just seven pitches to save a 5-4 triumph on Wednesday night.
“It doesn’t matter who’s up there,” Williams said. “My job is to finish the game. That’s all I’m worried about, getting three outs before they were to tie the game. That’s the only thing that matters. It doesn’t matter who the hitter is.”
That attitude has helped make Williams one of the game’s best relievers when healthy. It also helps that he has a changeup so effective it has earned its own nickname: The Airbender.
Unfortunately for the Brewers, Williams wasn’t healthy to start this season. Williams wasn’t concerned about a rust factor when he finally returned to action, saying he had done this job effectively enough for so long that “it’s like riding a bike.”
Williams has proved that since his return.
He has recorded 11 strikeouts while allowing three hits, one walk and one run through six innings this season. His performance Thursday was particularly noteworthy because it was the first time this season he had pitched on back-to-back days.
“I’ve seen Devin from the box too many times, so I know what those guys are going through as hitters,” said first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who had spent his entire career in Philadelphia before joining the Brewers this season. “But I can tell you just playing behind him, it’s awesome to see the way he attacks those guys.
“Everybody knows about his changeup. It’s one of the best pitches in baseball. But to throw the heater where he has been these last couple of days and just challenge guys to get ahead of them has been outstanding.”
Williams’ return came at an ideal time. Trevor Megill, who filled in as Milwaukee’s closer the first four months of the season, went on the injured list with a lower back strain just as Williams was coming back. Megill began a rehabilitation assignment Thursday at Single-A Wisconsin as he approaches his return.
Before his injury, Megill had worked alongside Bryan Hudson, Jared Koenig, Joel Payamps and Elvis Peguero, among others, to help Milwaukee’s bullpen perform admirably in Williams’ absence. The Brewers boosted that relief corps by acquiring Nick Mears from Colorado at the trade deadline.
The Brewers entered Thursday with a 3.26 bullpen ERA that ranked second in the majors to the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians (2.72), who begin a three-game series in Milwaukee on Friday. Now that bullpen finally is getting close to full strength.
“It’s starting to look like a lights-out bullpen, you know,” Williams said. “There’s a lot of options to go to. I’m sure that’s a manager’s dream.”
And a hitter’s nightmare.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
By STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer