Judge 3 Hits & 3-Run HR Bring Yanks Off Ropes. NY 9 Toronto 6

October 8, 2025 paperbacklou 2025 0
Aaron Judge rips a 3-run HR off the foul pole to tie the game 6-6 in the bottom of the 4th.

Aaron Judge ripped a dramatic 3-run HR off the foul poll in right in the 4th inning to tie the game 6-6 — pulling the Yanks off the ropes of an early 6-1 deficit and on the verge of being eliminated, down 2-0 in games in the Wild Card series.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed the next inning with a blast off the upper deck in right to put NY ahead as the Yanks blitzed the Blue Jays 9-6 at an Electric Yankee Stadium on a beautiful, balmy and breezy Wednesday night — pulling to within 2-1 in games in the best-of-5 series.

Judge’s HR came off a 99-MPH fastball from Louis Varland thrown way up and inside — an almost impossible pitch to pull and rip off the foul pole no less. Judge went 3 for 4 in the game — singling and scoring the Yankees’ 1st run in the 1st, and doubling in a run in the 3rd to make it a 6-2 game at the time and begin the NY comeback from the 6-1 deficit.

Judge also made a terrific diving catch of a liner in the 5th with a runner on 2nd that saved a run and kept the game tied 6-6 at the time.

The Yankee bullpen of Fernando Cruz, Camilo Doval, Tim Hill, Devin Williams, and David Bednar threw down 6.2 innings of shutout relief, after Carlos Rodon got slap-singled to death in the 3rd.

Austin Wells added a clutch, 2-out RBI single later in the 5th after Jazz’s HR, and Ben Rice added a clutch sac fly in the 6th to give NY a 9-6 lead.

“Obviously — Awesome,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards. “Just continue to keep your nose down and compete when it’s not looking great. Just a lot of good quality at bats to work our way back into it. Some important plays in the field, and the bullpen piecing it together so well — without really overtaxing anyone too, which obviously is big going into another game tomorrow.”

1.  Vlad HR Off Rodon in 1st Puts Toronto Up 2-0

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had not hit a HR in a month coming into this series, but has gotten red-hot after hitting one in game 1. And so it was again when with 1 out in the top of the 1st, Carlos Rodon walked Davis Schneider and Vlad hit a 427-foot bomb to center for a 2-0 Toronto lead, just like that.

2. Judge & Stanton Get Yanks on Board

But Aaron Judge and the Yanks came right back against Toronto starter Shane Bieber in the bottom of the 1st.

Judge ripped a single to center with 1 out and then with 2 outs the Yanks got some luck as 2nd baseman Isiah-Kiner Falefa made an error on a sharp grounder by Ben Rice, and Giancarlo Stanton ripped a Clutch RBI single to left for a 2-1 game.

3. Rodon Singled to Death in 3rd — Toronto Takes 6-1 Lead

Rodon worked around trouble in the 2nd by getting 3 pop outs, in and around a leadoff single by Ernie Clement and a 2-out hit-by-pitch of Andres Gimenez.

But in the 3rd, Rodon got singled to death and knocked out of the game.

Davis Schneider led off with a double, Vladimir Guerrero was intentionally walked, and Rodon got Alejandro Kirk to line out to right.

But Daulton Varsho ripped a single to center for a 3-1 Toronto lead, Ernie Clement singled to left for a 4-1 lead, and Anthony Santander singled to right for a 6-1 Toronto lead.

And Rodon was Gone — replaced by Fernando Cruz — who got strikeout and groundout to end the inning.

4. Judge & Stanton Pull NY to Within 6-3 in 3rd

The Yanks were down 6-1 but not defeated — they came right back in the bottom of the 3rd against Bieber. Trent Grisham appeared to have his bat touched by catcher Alejandro Kirk — which would have been catcher’s interference — but the Yanks lost the challenge even though the replay appeared to show the glove touch the bat.

On the next pitch Trent Grisham ripped a double to right, and next batter Aaron Judge ripped an RBI double to the corner in left for a 6-2 game.


Judge Smart Running in Run-Down Gets Yanks 3rd Run

Cody Bellinger singled to center to put runners on 1st and 3rd, but Ben Rice hit a chopper to Vlad Guerrero Jr. at 1st — who came home to easily have Judge. Judge however, stayed in the run down long enough for Bellinger to go from 2nd to 3rd — so it was 1 out, runners on 1st and 3rd.

And that Judge running play paid off as Giancarlo Stanton hit a sac fly to deep center for a run — Toronto 6 NY 3.

5. Judge 3-run HR Off Foul Poll Ties It!

Toronto brought in lefty Mason Fluharty, who got the final out of the 3rd, then began the 4th by striking out Anthony Volpe.

Yanks Get Help from Above

But the Yanks got some luck from above, as lefty Austin Wells hit a pop up into shallow left, and the breezy wind took it away from 3rd baseman Addison Barger — who wrestled after it and dropped the ball.

Lefty Trent Grisham then worked a 5-pitch walk to put runners on 1st and 2nd, and the Blue Jays went to the bullpen again — this time for rocket-throwing righthander Louis Varland and his 100-MPH heat to face Aaron Judge.

Judge fouled off a 90-MPH knuckle curve, then swung and missed at a 100-MPH fastball. With the count 0-2, Varland threw a 99-MPH fastball up and in to Judge — and Judge hammered it off the right-field foul pole for a 3-run HR and tie game!

6. Judge D Saves Run in 5th

Judge wasn’t done with the heroics. After relieving Fernando Cruz with 2 outs in the 4th, Camilo Doval pitched the 5th for NY — and allowed a 1-out double to Ernie Clement.

Next batter Anthony Santander ripped a liner to right that had RBI Single written all over it — which would have regained the lead for Toronto in the 6-6 game — but Aaron Judge came in with a tremendous diving catch for the out!

Tim Hill relieved Doval with 2 outs and stranded the runner by striking out Addison Barger.

7. Jazz HR Puts NY Ahead in 5th — Wells Makes It 8-6

Louis Varland and his 100-MPH heat was still in for the bottom of the 5th — striking out Giancarlo Stanton to start the inning.

But lefty Jazz Chisholm Jr. SMOKED a 99-MPH fastball off the upper deck in right and NY had a 7-6 lead.

Toronto brought in 6’4 righty Braydon Fisher — and Amed Rosario — in the game after pinch hitting for Ryan McMahon in the 4th — ripped a double to left. Fisher struck out Volpe for the 2nd out, but with 2 outs Austin Wells hit a CLUTCH single to right — scoring Rosario — although Wells was thrown out at 2nd — safe at first but he slid off the bag. NY 8 Toronto 6.

8. Rice Sac Fly Makes 9-6 NY in 6th

Toronto brought in 6’2 lefty Brendon Little for the bottom of the 6th in an 8-6 game NY — and he got lefty Trent Grisham to line out, then intentionally walked Aaron Judge — but lefty Cody Bellinger doubled to center, and lefty Ben Rice hit a Clutch sac fly to right for a 9-6 Yankee lead.

9. Yankee Bullpen 6.2 Shutout Innings

Meanwhile the Yankee bullpen was superb:

  • Fernando Cruz pitching 1.1 innings of shutout ball (the 3rd into the 4th),
  • Camilo Doval pitching 1 shutout inning (the 4th into the 5th),
  • Tim Hill pitching 1.1 shutout innings (the 5th through the 6th), and
  • Devin Williams pitching 1.1 shutout innings (the 7th into the 8th).

The Yanks loaded the bases with 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th on a leadoff single by Austin Wells, 2 out intentional walk to Cody Bellinger, and single by Jose Caballero — but Giancarlo Stanton popped out to end the inning.

That sent the game to the 9th with the Yanks up 9-6, and David Bednar struck out George Springer, struck out Nathan Lukes, and came back from a 3-0 count to get Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to hit a 3-2 hard grounder to 3rd that Jose Caballero made a terrific play on — throwing a one-bouncer to 1st that Paul Goldschmidt gobbled up for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401809265

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