1 of 5 | New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge hits a three-run home run to tie the score 6-6 in the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 3 of the 2025 American League Division Series on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium in New York. Photo by Ray Stubblebine/UPI | License Photo
Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. each cranked critical home runs to help the New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays and avoid playoff elimination.
The Yankees trailed 6-1 entering the bottom of the third inning of the 9-6 triumph in Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.
Judge tied the score with a 373-foot three-run shot off the left field foul pole in the bottom of the fourth. Chisholm gave the Yankees a 7-6 edge with a 409-foot solo shot to right in the fifth.
“The boys were hyped up and locked in all game,” Judge told reporters. “I know we were kinda down there early, but the energy in that dugout and with what we were bringing, we knew we were gonna go out there and leave it all on the field.”
With the victory, the Yankees avoided a playoff exit and extended the best-of-five game series. They will host the Blue Jays with the same goals for Game 4 on Wednesday in New York.
“Hopefully we have some more cool moments like this the rest of the postseason,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Judge went 3 for 4 with four RBIs, three runs scored and a walk. He is now hitting .500 (11 of 22) this postseason, but hadn’t homered in his previous five 2025 playoff appearances. The Yankees bullpen combined to allow just three hits over 6 2/3 shutout innings to preserve Tuesday’s victory.
All-Star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. put the Blue Jays on the cusp of the ALCS with a 427-foot, two-run homer off Yankees starter Carlos Rodon in the top of the first.
Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton hit an RBI single in the bottom of the inning for the Yankees’ first run, but the Blue Jays touched up Rodon again for four runs in the third. The Yankees then turned to their dominant bullpen.
The Yankees started their rally when center fielder Trent Grisham doubled to right field to lead off the bottom of the same inning. Judge plated Grisham with another double in the next at-bat. Stanton drove in a third Yankees run with an RBI sacrifice fly later in the inning.
Yankees catcher Austin Wells reached base on an error in the second at-bat of the bottom of the fourth. Relief pitcher Mason Fluharty then walked Grisham, bringing Judge to the plate.
The Yankees slugger proceeded to smack an 0-2 fastball from relief pitcher Louis Varland deep to left field before it it more than halfway up the foul pole, tying the score.
Chisholm sent a 1-1 Varland fastball to right field for his go-ahead shot in the next inning. Wells added to the lead with an RBI single three at-bats later. First baseman Ben Rice drove in the final run of the night with an RBI sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Rodon allowed six hits and six runs over 2 1/3 innings. Fernando Cruz, Camilo Doval, Tim Hill, Devin Williams and David Bednar teamed up for the brilliant bullpen effort.
Guerrero went 2 for 4 with two RBIs, two runs scored and a walk in the loss. Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement went 4 for 4 with an RBI and run scored in the loss. Starter Shane Bieber allowed five hits and three runs, including two earned, over 2 2/3 innings. The Blue Jays bullpen surrendered seven hits and six runs, including five earned, over the final 6 1/3 innings.
First pitch for Game 4 is scheduled for 7:08 p.m. EDT Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. Game 5, if necessary, will be Friday in Toronto. Right-hander Cam Schlittler is set to pitch for the Yankees (1-2) in Game 4. The Blue Jays will hand the ball to Varland.
The winner of the series will meet the Detroit Tigers or Seattle Mariners in the ALCS. The Mariners beat the Tigers 8-4 in Game 3 of that series Tuesday in Detroit to take a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 will be at 3:08 p.m. Wednesday in Detroit.
That matchup will feature Casey Mize of the Tigers against fellow right-handed pitcher Bryce Miller of the Mariners.
The Chicago Cubs (0-2) will send right-handed pitcher Jameson Taillon to the mound Wednesday, when they attempt to avoid elimination against the Milwaukee Brewers (2-0) in Game 3 of the NLDS at 5:08 p.m. in Chicago.
The winner of that series will face the Philadelphia Phillies or Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will head to the mound for the Dodgers (2-0), when they attempt to eliminate the Phillies (0-2) and fellow right-handed starter Aaron Nola in Game 3 of that series at 9:08 p.m. Wednesday in Los Angeles.
