When it looked like the New York Yankees were down for good, they found one last burst of life.
Down 6–1 early to the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night, the season felt like it was slipping through their fingers. The energy was flat, the crowd restless, and the bats quiet. Then came Aaron Judge, the $360 million captain, who reminded everyone why October baseball is built for stars. His towering three-run shot off the left-field foul pole tied the game at six, sending Yankee Stadium into chaos and sparking a comeback that may have saved their season.
Judge’s swing reignited the team
Judge’s blast was the moment everything flipped. The Yankees had been pressing all night, chasing pitches and looking defeated. One swing changed the entire tone of the game. It was the kind of hit that feels like a defibrillator to a lineup gasping for air.
Once the captain delivered, the rest of the team followed suit. The dugout came alive, fans started to believe again, and momentum shifted entirely toward the home team. The Yankees smelled blood, and they didn’t let up.
Jazz Chisholm delivers the knockout punch
By the fifth inning, the Yankees had a golden opportunity to seize control. With the game tied and the Blue Jays wobbling, Jazz Chisholm stepped to the plate looking as confident as ever. The left-handed infielder got a fastball over the plate and didn’t miss, crushing it 409 feet into the right-field seats.
The ball barely had time to land before Yankee Stadium exploded again. Chisholm’s homer gave New York a 7–6 lead, one they wouldn’t surrender.
“Honestly, all I was thinking is that we’ve got to win this game,” Chisholm said afterward. “That’s all that was really going through my head the whole game. This is what we live for. Like we always said, we’re not giving up until it’s the 27th out and our season’s over. And it’s not over yet.”
That quote sums up exactly how the Yankees played. It wasn’t perfect baseball, but it was determined, gritty, and fueled by belief.
The bullpen and offense finally aligned
After the Yankees regained the lead, the bullpen took care of business. Devin Williams and David Bednar combined to shut down Toronto’s offense, keeping the Blue Jays off the board while the Yankees tacked on two insurance runs.
Every part of the roster contributed. Judge sparked the rally, Chisholm finished it, and the relievers slammed the door. It was the type of all-hands-on-deck performance the team has been missing for much of October.
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Yankees still have life heading into Game 4
With their season on the line once again, the Yankees will turn to rookie pitcher Cam Schlittler for Game 4. He’s coming off one of the best postseason outings by any rookie this year, and now he’ll get the ball in a must-win situation.
The odds are still steep, but Tuesday’s comeback reminded everyone what this team is capable of when they play with urgency. They looked finished early in the night. By the end, they looked alive again — like a team refusing to let the season end quietly.