Bronx, NY — Aaron Judge made his presence felt on both sides of the ball Sunday, sparking the New York Yankees to a 4–3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays and pulling them within two games of the AL East lead.
Returning to right field for just the second time since July 25 due to a lingering elbow injury, Judge delivered a game-changing diving catch on a scorching 106.4 mph line drive off George Springer’s bat. The grab ended the fifth inning and preserved a one-run Yankees lead, stranding a potential tying run at second.
Judge also played a pivotal role on offense, walking three times and scoring the go-ahead run in the third inning. After swiping second base, he came around on Cody Bellinger’s double off the right-center wall.
Early Punch from Rice:
Ben Rice provided an early cushion with a three-run homer in the first inning off Blue Jays starter Max Scherzer (5–3). That blast gave the Yankees a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Despite not having his sharpest stuff, Max Fried (16–5) battled through seven innings, allowing three runs while tying for the major league lead in wins.
Back-and-Forth Battle:
Toronto clawed back with two runs in the second, including an RBI double from Ernie Clement, but couldn’t break through late. New York’s bullpen locked it down, with David Bednar earning his 22nd save. After Nathan Lukes’ one-out single in the ninth, catcher Austin Wells caught him stealing to erase the threat.
Devin Williams also escaped trouble in the eighth, stranding a pair of runners to maintain the slim lead.
By the Numbers:
Judge fielded six balls in right, including a 70.7 mph throw on Clement’s second-inning double.
Fried now boasts a 1.67 ERA over his last four starts.
The Yankees improved to 80–63, maintaining their hold on the top AL Wild Card spot.
Toronto, at 82–61, retains the tiebreaker over New York after taking eight of the 13 games in the season series.
Sabathia Honored:
The game drew a sellout crowd of 45,266 on CC Sabathia Day, celebrating the former Yankee ace’s contributions to the franchise.
What’s Next:
Blue Jays: Return home to open a series against the Houston Astros on Tuesday.
Yankees: Begin a three-game set against the Detroit Tigers on Monday, with RHP Will Warren (8–6, 4.28 ERA) taking the mound opposite RHP Casey Mize (13–5, 3.87 ERA).
