The New York Yankees rallied for a huge win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 3 of the ALDS on Tuesday night.
For the third straight game, the New York Yankees were looking pretty lifeless against the Toronto Blue Jays. Carlos Rodon was knocked out in the third inning after surrendering six runs, and the Yankees trailed by five. It was looking like the Yankees were about to get swept.
But New York showed some serious mettle, scoring eight unanswered runs to come away with a 9-6 victory to stave off elimination and suddenly put the Blue Jays squarely on their heels.
Aaron Judge finally broke his postseason curse on Tuesday evening, smashing a three-run home run to tie the game in the fourth inning. He went 3-for-4 with four RBI overall. Jazz Chisholm then gave the Yanks the lead with a solo shot in the fifth, and the Yankees never looked back.
Suddenly, the Bronx Bombers have scored 15 runs over the last two games after their offense looked entirely anemic against the Boston Red Sox and early on versus Toronto. And the best part is everyone is chipping in.
New York Yankees outfielders Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham celebrate. Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.Giancarlo Stanton had a couple of RBI. Austin Wells and Ben Rice had one apiece, too. And you know what else? The Yankees' bullpen was incredible in Game 3, not allowing a single run.
Now, the Yankees will have Cam Schlittler — yes, the same Cam Schlittler who put forth a legendary performance in the series clincher against the Red Sox — on the mound for Game 4 on Wednesday night. Win that game, and suddenly, you may have Max Fried back for short rest in Game 5. And what are the chances of Fried tossing two bad outings in the same series?
The Blue Jays obviously still have the edge. They hold a 2-1 lead, after all, and while they didn't register a single run after the third inning in Game 2, their bats are still terrifying and have pushed across 29 runs in three games this series.
However, there is no question that the Yankees have seized a bit of momentum here courtesy of a thrilling comeback highlighted by a signature playoff moment from Judge that we have been awaiting for years.
Things appear to be starting to click for New York in this series. Let's just hope Schlittler puts forth a better effort in Game 4 than Rodon did on Tuesday.