Early on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, it seemed pretty safe to put the champagne on ice in the visiting clubhouse.
The Blue Jays quickly established a commanding 6-1 lead, silencing the lively Bronx crowd, who began to lament the potential end to their season. However, the Jays made unexpected mistakes reminiscent of the Yankees’ rare defensive lapses.
Toronto committed two significant errors, which fueled a comeback led by Aaron Judge, enabling the Yankees to secure a 9-6 victory in Game 3 of the ALDS, thus prolonging their playoff hopes.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, with one out and the Jays leading 6-3, Austin Wells hit a seemingly easy popup along the left field line. Third baseman Addison Barger moved over to catch it but dropped the ball, allowing Wells to advance to second base.
And that was where the game officially began to change.
Next, Trent Grisham drew a walk, setting up runners on first and second with one out for Judge. The Yankees’ captain smashed a 100-mph fastball off the left field foul pole, tying the game and reigniting the Yankees’ momentum.
“We just didn’t play our game,” explained manager John Schneider. “Overall, defensively, we gave them extra chances, and they capitalized quickly. It’s not just one error. It’s several issues. Their bullpen was effective, and we made costly mistakes.”
Had Barger made that catch, the two-time AL MVP would have never had the opportunity to have arguably his biggest postseason moment.
Barger wasn’t alone in his errors. Earlier, with two outs in the first inning, following Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s two-run homer that subdued the Yankees’ fans, Ben Rice hit a ground ball that should have ended the inning. But Isiah Kiner-Falefa mishandled it, setting the stage for Giancarlo Stanton to hit an RBI single, putting the Yankees on the board at 2-1.
Toronto also had a blunder that led to an insurance run for the Yanks. Right fielder Anthony Santander misplayed a line drive off the bat off Cody Bellinger, turning what should’ve been an out into a double, setting up second and third with one out — before Rice lined a sac fly to right, making it 9-6.
It was an uncharacteristically poor defensive game for the Blue Jays who ranked as the best in baseball with 38.5 fWAR and fourth in defensive runs saved (51).
“Yeah, [tonight was frustrating because of how good we’ve been defensively all season], but it happens,” said Schneider. “It’s baseball. Again, I said it a million times. These guys will be ready to play tomorrow. It happens. It gets magnified this time of year, sure, all that kind of stuff, but you’ve got to take care of the ball. Is it frustrating?
“Yeah, it’s frustrating today, but you’ve got to come to work tomorrow, get prepared, and physical errors happen. It’s part of the game. But you’ve got to move on and get ready for tomorrow.”
The Jays had a legitimate chance to end the Yankees’ season. However, they let the Bombers live to fight another day, only now, they are equipped with the undisputed best hitter in baseball that may have hit his postseason stride after years of struggles.
Originally Published: October 7, 2025 at 11:52 PM EDT
