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Carlos Rodón spent most of Monday night on cruise control.
Devin Williams then took the wheel and caused a five-car pileup.
Williams and Luke Weaver combined to turn a three-run lead into a one-run deficit in a brutal eighth inning as the Yankees collapsed in a 4-3 loss to the Padres at a soaking-wet Yankee Stadium.
Coming off of three straight scoreless outings since he was removed from the closer’s role, Williams reverted to his early-season form by giving up three runs on two walks and a hit while recording only two outs.
He has now allowed 13 earned runs in his first 11 ⅔ innings as a Yankee – the same number of earned runs he gave up over the last two seasons combined across 80 1/3 innings with the Brewers.
In a game that was played through varying degrees of rain, the Yankees (19-16) got 6 2/3 shutout innings from Rodón before Fernando Cruz entered and got the final out of the seventh on two pitches to preserve the 3-0 lead.
Instead of having Cruz handle the eighth, Aaron Boone called on Williams from the bullpen and he started off on the right foot with a strikeout.
But then he walked ex-Yankee Tyler Wade and gave up a broken-bat single to No. 9 hitter Brandon Lockridge (a former Yankees minor leaguer).
He struck out Fernando Tatis Jr. for a big second out, but followed by walking Luis Arraez on four pitches, ending his night with the bases loaded.
Weaver entered and quickly got tagged for a two-run double by Manny Machado and a two-run single from Xander Bogaerts. Just like that, the Padres (23-11) led 4-3.
Before Monday, Weaver had inherited five runners this season and had not allowed any of them to score. The go-ahead run, which was charged to Weaver, marked the first he allowed this season after 21 straight scoreless outings dating back to last September.
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Rodón scattered just three hits and one walk while striking out five and working into the seventh inning.
It continued a strong run by the left-hander over his last four starts in which he has given up just three runs (two earned) and 11 hits across 25 2/3 innings.
In the process, Rodón lowered his ERA to 2.96, providing a strong No. 2 behind Max Fried in a Yankees rotation that has otherwise been turbulent.
Facing his former team that traded him to the Yankees as part of the Juan Soto deal, Trent Grisham gave Rodón a 2-0 lead to work with in the third inning when he crushed Nick Pivetta’s sweeper into the second deck in right field.
It was Grisham’s ninth home run of the season in his 93rd plate appearance, the same number of homers he had in 209 plate appearances last year.
Grisham was starting Monday for the 11th time in 13 games (not including the three he missed while on the paternity list). His hot bat, to go along with his superior defense in center field, has made it nearly impossible for Boone to leave him out of the lineup, meaning more games on the bench for Jasson Domínguez.
Anthony Volpe, who returned to the lineup Monday following a one-game absence with a shoulder scare, provided some insurance in the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly that made it 3-0.
It was set up by Paul Goldschmidt, who led off the inning with a single that knocked Pivetta out of the game, then stole second and took third on a throwing error.
The Yankees had a chance to take a lead in the bottom of the first but some aggressive baserunning by Aaron Judge backfired.
He was on first when Ben Rice ripped a double down the first base line, with Judge taking third.
But when the throw into second popped up and away from Bogaerts, Judge took off for home, only to get thrown out at the plate.
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