NEW YORK — After one of the most improbable comebacks in recent memory electrified a sellout crowd, both the Blue Jays and Yankees will pass through the Bronx on Wednesday night with passports in hand — but for very different reasons.
Toronto seemed to have its ticket to the American League Championship Series stamped after opening an early five-run lead in Tuesdayâ€s ALDS Game 3, only to watch the Yankees storm back with eight unanswered runs to stave off elimination and fight another day.
“We could feel the momentum switch a little bit,†said Aaron Judge, who authored his signature postseason moment with a game-tying three-run homer. “Thatâ€s a great ballclub over there. Theyâ€ve been rolling all series. To get out there and tie it back up, we felt like we had the ball in our court at that time.â€
The Yankees†only path forward is to send the series back north, though the Blue Jays would enter that scenario brimming with confidence after winning eight of nine meetings at Rogers Centre this year, including the first two games of this ALDS.
Of the 34 previous teams to lose Games 1 and 2 on the road in a Division Series under the current 2-2-1 format, only 14 forced a Game 4. Of those, five (37.1%) reached a win-or-go-home Game 5 — and just three (21.4%) completed the comeback.
So history remains on Torontoâ€s side, and now the Blue Jays aim to finish the job.
“It just goes to show, if you let your foot off the gas for even a second, a good team will pounce on you,†said the Blue Jays†Ernie Clement. “We know theyâ€re not going to give up. Theyâ€re not going to lay down. So weâ€ve got to show up and be ready to play tomorrow.â€
When is the game and how can I watch it?
First pitch is scheduled for 7:08 p.m. ET on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium and can be seen in the United States on FS1.
Blue Jays fans in Canada can tune in via Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ for the broadcast with Buck Martinez, Dan Shulman and Hazel Mae, or listen to the radio call with Ben Shulman and Chris Leroux on Sportsnet 590 The FAN.
All series are available in the US on MLB.TV with authentication to a participating Pay TV provider. Games also are available live internationally, although not in Canada. Sportsnet is MLB’s exclusive English language broadcaster in Canada for every Postseason game, while TVA Sports will be covering the entire AL Postseason and the World Series in French and Broadcaster RDS will cover the entire NL Postseason in French.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Blue Jays: Louis Varland (4-3, 2.97 ERA during the regular season) gets the start for the bullpen day, which feels like a risk after Tuesdayâ€s short effort from Shane Bieber, but this is how the Blue Jays have been set up all along. Theyâ€re likely turning to the playbook they rolled out on Sept. 25 against the Red Sox, when Varland, Eric Lauer and Yariel RodrÃguez carried a combined perfect game into the seventh inning.
Lauer feels like the most important part of this puzzle, given that heâ€s a lefty who can give the Blue Jays anywhere between two and four innings. Everyone should be available, but Seranthony DomÃnguez and Jeff Hoffman being fresh on the back end is particularly helpful. All eyes are on manager John Schneider and pitching coach Pete Walker Wednesday as they try to navigate this dangerous Yankees lineup.
The right-hander from Walpole, Mass., is ready to try to do it again as the ALDS Game 4 starter. Including his AL Wild Card Series gem, the Northeastern University product has gone at least five innings and allowed two runs or fewer in 10 of his past 12 outings.
Schlittler tossed five innings of two-run ball in his second big league start at Toronto on July 22. However, the Blue Jays were better prepared for their second meeting with the righty, who yielded a career-high-tying four runs in 1 2/3 innings against them on Sept. 5 in the Bronx.
What are the starting lineups?
Blue Jays: After facing two straight lefties, the Blue Jays go back to facing Schlittler in Game 4, who they handled well the last time they saw him in 2025. Anthony Santander could be the interesting moving piece here, especially with Addison Barger still cold.
Yankees: Manager Aaron Boone said he gave a lot of thought to shaking up the lineup for ALDS Game 3 before eventually deciding to keep it the same, speaking about his belief that this order is the one that “has the chance to do the most damage.†After breaking out for nine runs and 12 hits, chances are that the Yanks will trot them out the same way once more.
How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Blue Jays: All aboard! The Blue Jays†bullpen had to cover 5 1/3 innings in the Game 3 loss with a combination of Mason Fluharty, Varland, Braydon Fisher, Brendon Little and Tommy Nance. Varland will start Game 4 and Lauer is expected to play a major role, but beyond that, theyâ€ll play the matchups game all night. This bullpen game would leave the Blue Jays with Kevin Gausman and Trey Yesavage both available for a potential Game 5, but itâ€s going to be tricky to navigate.
Yankees: It’s still an elimination game, so anyone and everyone would be available to force their way back to Toronto. Fernando Cruz (19 pitches), Camilo Doval (13 pitches), Tim Hill (16 pitches), Devin Williams (26 pitches) and David Bednar (21 pitches) all worked in Game 3. But they were all relatively fresh, thanks to Will Warren’s 84 pitches in the Game 2 blowout at Toronto.
Any injuries of note?
Blue Jays: Bo Bichette is still rehabbing from a left knee sprain, and while heâ€s eyeing a return for a potential ALCS, thereâ€s still not much of a timeline, given that he hasnâ€t started running. Chris Bassitt was also left off the ALDS roster as he was still building up from some minor back inflammation late in the season, but for the most part, the Blue Jays are a healthy team that could take a major step if they keep this thing going long enough to get Bichette back.
Yankees: Cody Bellinger has been playing through a sore left heel that bothers him most when he decelerates. The state of Judgeâ€s right elbow was a topic throughout the Wild Card Series, as Boston looked for opportunities to test Judgeâ€s throwing. Heâ€s uncorked a few of his strongest throws since the injury already during this series.
Who is hot and who is not?
Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. still might be the hottest hitter in the postseason. Heâ€s homered in all three ALDS games, a couple of first-inning shots on either side of his Game 2 grand slam. This may be the most focused and motivated version of Guerrero weâ€ve seen in the big leagues. Ernie Clement looks like one of the most important players on this roster, too, and went 4-for-4 in the Game 3 loss.
Torontoâ€s lineup has already put up 29 runs through three games, so there arenâ€t many problems to be found there. Surprisingly enough, their typically excellent defense was the weak link in the Game 3 loss, and the bullpen was run thin by a 2 2/3-innings start from Bieber, so the Blue Jays need to get back to the clean, tight brand of run prevention that got them here. If thatâ€s in place, the offense is doing more than enough.
Yankees: Judge is 11-for-22 (.500) during the playoffs, which is already his most hits during any postseason, including a couple of doubles and one very big homer. Anthony Volpe has struck out 13 times already in 23 playoff at-bats, while Trent Grisham is 4-for-24 (.167) hitting primarily out of the leadoff spot. Giancarlo Stanton is also 4-for-24 (.167) as he searches to recapture his October magic of 2024.
Anything else fans might want to know?
• This is the first series in postseason history where either team scored at least nine runs in each of the first three games.
Blue Jays: The Blue Jays entered Game 3 with a record of 39-0 when leading by five-plus runs in the regular season and postseason. Theyâ€re now 39-1.
Yankees: The Yankees are 3-0 in potential elimination games this postseason. They have won six of their last eight potential elimination games (since 2022) and are 13-7 in those games since 2017.
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