Let’s get two things clear:
- Devin Williams is arguably the best reliever in MLB and has the stats to prove it.
- Baseball is so, so cruel.
On that first point, Williams had gone 30 consecutive outings without allowing a run. He’d gone all season long without giving up a homer. A sterling 1.59 ERA and 66 strikeouts on 19 walks in 39.2 innings is plenty evidence of his greatness.
It’s the type of stuff that convinced the Milwaukee Brewers to trade equally-dominant closer Josh Hader to San Diego at the deadline and move Williams into the 9th inning role.
Wednesday provided Williams with the first opportunity to show he could handle the added pressure as he entered a game tied at 7 against the Pittsburgh Pirates on the road.
It, uh, did not go well.
Raise it! Bryan Reynolds walks it off!
(MLB x @CapitalOne) pic.twitter.com/w5QlhAnLQB
— MLB (@MLB) August 4, 2022
Wowowowow.
Ok, there’s a lot to unpack here.
That’s just the second walk-off home run of Reynolds’ career. He also hasn’t had too much luck against Williams before Wednesday, striking out three times in 12 plate appearances with just three hits—and none of them went for more than a single. Williams had previously only allowed one home run at PNC Park and that was back in 2020. Wednesday’s home run was just the third hit given up by Williams in Pittsburgh since.
And the walk-off absolutely crushed the betting public.
According to Action Network, 81 percent of all moneyline bets and 69 percent of all the money wagered on the ML was on Milwaukee.
What a brutal beat.