Aaron Judge revived the New York Yankees’ season, and his postseason résumé, with one thunderous swing.
Facing elimination and trailing by five runs in the third inning, Judge launched a towering three-run homer off the left-field foul pole to tie the game in the fourth, sparking a wild 9-6 comeback win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.
Moments later, Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed with a solo shot in the fifth to give New York its first lead of the series, one it would not relinquish. The Yankees’ bullpen carried the rest, combining for 6.2 shutout innings after Carlos Rodón was chased early. Fernando Cruz, Camilo Doval, Tim Hill, and Devin Williams bridged the gap to David Bednar, who locked down a five-out save to extend the season.
Judge finished 3-for-4 with a double, homer, four RBI, and a diving catch that saved a run in the fifth. His game-tying blast, off a 99.7 mph inside fastball from Louis Varland, sent the 47,399 fans at Yankee Stadium into a frenzy and instantly shifted the momentum of the series.
The Yankees’ offense, long dormant, finally came alive after Toronto’s four-run third made it 6–1. Trent Grisham and Judge each doubled to spark a two-run rally before Giancarlo Stanton’s sacrifice fly trimmed the deficit. Austin Wells and Ben Rice added insurance runs as New York pulled away.
With the win, the Yankees trail 2–1 in the best-of-five series and will send rookie Cam Schlittler to the mound Wednesday at 7:08 p.m. against Toronto’s bullpen, hoping to force a decisive Game 5 Friday night in Toronto.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].