The New York Yankees rallied from a five-run deficit to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-6 in Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. The victory kept the Yankees’ postseason hopes alive and shifted momentum in their favor as they avoided elimination.
Aaron Judge played a key role in the comeback, hitting a three-run home run off Louis Varland in the fourth inning that tied the game. “When the ball is in the air, it’s kind of silent. You’ve got a lot of unknown,” Judge said. “But then right when it hits the pole, I’m looking straight at my teammates – all the guys that have been battling with me all year long, battling for this moment.”
Earlier in the game, starting pitcher Carlos Rodón allowed six runs, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s third home run of the series. Toronto built what appeared to be a commanding lead after scoring four runs in the third inning.
Despite being outscored 23-8 in the first two games of the series and facing odds that had seen teams go 0-38 in similar situations during MLB postseason history, New York managed to respond. Third baseman Ryan McMahon described the mood in the dugout: “I think a couple of guys were pissed off, man. I think it kind of kicked us in the butt and got us locked in.”
Judge also contributed with an RBI double and Giancarlo Stanton added a sacrifice fly as part of a rally that cut into Toronto’s early lead. In his next at-bat, Judge hit his first home run of this postseason after Austin Wells reached base on an error and Trent Grisham walked.
Varland commented on Judge’s homer: “He made a really good pitch look really bad.” Yankees manager Aaron Boone compared Judge’s swing to those by Edgar Martinez and Manny Ramirez: “That’s shades of Edgar Martinez right there, taking that high and tight one and keeping it fair down the line. Manny Ramirez used to do that really well, too.”
After Judge’s home run, Jazz Chisholm Jr. gave New York its first lead with a solo shot in the fifth inning. Ben Rice later added a sacrifice fly to extend their advantage.
Relief pitchers Tim Hill, Devin Williams, and David Bednar combined for over six scoreless innings to secure the win after Rodón’s early struggles.
Judge reflected on his approach at bat: “I get yelled at for swinging at them out of the zone, but now I’m getting praised for it,” he said. “It’s a game. I don’t care what the numbers say or where something was at. I’m just up there trying to put a good swing on a good pitch. It looked good to me.”
Cody Bellinger praised Judge’s performance: “He’s just different, man,” Bellinger said. “Fifty-something homers, .330 – you see it on the TV with other teams. It’s fun to watch with your own eyes.”
Boone called Judge’s overall effort “a best player in the game-type performance.”
With this win, New York will have another opportunity to extend its season Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.
“Tonight was special, but there’s still more work to be done,” Judge said. “Hopefully we have some more cool moments like this the rest of the postseason.”
