Bronx, NY— With their season hanging by a thread, Aaron Judge delivered one of the most memorable postseason performances in Yankees history — and perhaps of his career.
The New York Yankees stormed back from a five-run deficit to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9–6 on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, staving off elimination in Game 3 of the American League Division Series. The victory trimmed Toronto’s series lead to 2–1 and forced a pivotal Game 4 on Wednesday night in the Bronx.
Judge was the undeniable catalyst, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, and four RBIs while scoring three times. He also flashed his glove with a diving catch and used his speed on the basepaths to extend innings. Each highlight drew thunderous “MVP! MVP!” chants from the Yankee faithful.
“Tonight was special, but there’s still more work to be done,” Judge said. “Hopefully we have some more moments like this the rest of the way.”
Yankees Rally Behind Their Captain
New York’s night started disastrously. Starter Carlos Rodón surrendered six runs in just 2 1/3 innings, and by the middle of the third, the Yankees trailed 6–1. But instead of folding, they found their fight.
Judge jumpstarted the comeback with an RBI double and later scored on a Giancarlo Stanton sacrifice fly. In the fourth, after a dropped popup by Toronto third baseman Addison Barger extended the inning, Judge turned on a 100-mph fastball from Louis Varland and hammered it down the left-field line for a three-run homer that tied the game at 6.
“He made a really good pitch look really bad,” Varland said afterward.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone marveled at the swing: “That was shades of Edgar Martínez or Manny Ramirez — keeping a high-and-tight one fair down the line. Just incredible bat control.”
The Turning Point
Judge’s blast electrified the crowd and swung momentum sharply in New York’s favor. After a scoreless top of the fifth, Jazz Chisholm Jr. launched a solo home run to right-center, giving the Yankees their first lead of the series.
Two batters later, Austin Wells’ two-out single scored Amed Rosario to make it 8–6. In the sixth, Judge was intentionally walked — a sign of respect and caution from Toronto — and came around to score on Ben Rice’s sacrifice fly, extending the lead to 9–6.
From there, the bullpen took over. Tim Hill, David Bednar, and three other relievers combined for 6 2/3 scoreless innings, sealing the win. Bednar earned his second save of the postseason.
Blue Jays Let It Slip Away
Toronto, which entered the night undefeated this season when leading by four runs or more, watched its chance to sweep vanish amid sloppy defense and missed opportunities. The Blue Jays committed two errors that led to four unearned runs, and their offense went quiet after the third inning.
“We just didn’t play our game,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider admitted. “Their bullpen shut us down, and we gave them too many extra outs.”
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered and scored twice, while Ernie Clement had four hits in the loss.
History in the Bronx
The comeback marked the Yankees’ largest ever in an elimination game and tied their second-biggest rally in postseason history. New York is now 3–0 in elimination games this October, each one fueled by late-inning resilience.
“Every guy in that dugout believed,” Boone said. “That’s the kind of grit it takes this time of year.”
Up Next:
Game 4 is set for Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. Rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler will take the mound for New York after his standout Wild Card performance against Boston. Toronto is expected to counter with a bullpen game.
If the Yankees win, the series shifts back to Toronto for a decisive Game 5.
