If we’re going to call him The Roman Empire earnestly, then he’s going to have to solve the high-profile Yankees offseason acquisition with the 5.00 ERA who’s been booted from the closer role twice. Sorry. I don’t make the rules.

To say the Yankees desperately needed a win on Sunday night to salvage their four-game series with the Red Sox is such a massive understatement that I’m surprised Aaron Boone didn’t make it trying to minimize an Anthony Volpe error. The Yankees were trying to avoid their first four-plus-game sweep at the hands of the Red Sox in the Bronx since 1939 (86 years, pretty big number in Boston history). They entered the game with a starting pitching mismatch (Dustin May vs. All-Star Carlos Rodón), but when has that mattered recently? When things are going poorly, Jason Alexander beats Max Fried. The Yankees were done. Season over. It happened Saturday. Don’t you read the blogs?

But then, something weird happened: good stuff started to occur. And it didn’t really stop. Rodón got jobbed on a few full counts, and Nathaniel Lowe continued his hilarious bit of getting a hit in every at-bat with the Sox, but other than that, Trent Grisham drilled two homers, Jazz Chisholm Jr. powered one out to get the scoring started (and emotionally reacted to the moment/losing someone close to him), Luke Weaver helped Rodón, and the Yankees turned a three-run lead over to … Devin Williams in the eighth?!

In the first Yankees win over the Sox this season, Williams disposed of them easily to secure the 9-6 victory. Prior to Sunday, that was also their most recent win over the Sox this season. Eight games ago. But these were the new-look Sox. Alex Bregman is back and healthy. Roman Anthony has been promoted. Trevor Story has ignited. Williams didn’t stand a cha — I’m sorry, he mowed down all three of those guys easily?

Yankees’ cathartic Sunday Night Baseball win over Boston Red Sox featured Devin Williams redemption

Much like on Wednesday night in Tampa, Williams defied the odds, sending a clean sheet into the bottom of the frame – where another Jazz homer was awaiting him. That gave Camilo Doval the creative freedom to get lit up by Lowe (fun!), strike out Carlos Narvaez (more fun!), and end the baseball game.

Williams won’t get the primary accolades in this one. But in a season in which every Boston game in particular has grown so dark, and in a season in which the exiled closer has found a way to tighten almost every important contest, this simple inning suggested the opposite of what yesterday’s folly did. This game was over the moment Williams left the rubber, and it belonged in the win column.