NEW YORK — Aaron Judge hit a tying three-run homer in the fourth inning, Jazz Chisholm Jr. socked a go-ahead solo homer in the fifth and the New York Yankees avoided elimination in the American League Division Series with a 9-6 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 3 on Tuesday.
The Yankees stormed back from a 6-1 deficit through 2 1/2 innings thanks to the homers from Judge and Chisholm off Louis Varland (0-1).
New York forced Game 4 at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, when rookie Cam Schlittler will start for the hosts while the Blue Jays are expected to use a bullpen game.
New York also overcame Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s third homer of the series. Guerrero went deep on Carlos Rodon’s 2-0 changeup three batters into the contest and scored on a headfirst slide on a single by Ernie Clement in Toronto’s four-run third.
The Blue Jays led 6-3 with one out in the bottom of the fourth when New York’s Austin Wells reached on a fielding error by third baseman Addison Barger. Trent Grisham walked, and Varland replaced Mason Fluharty on the mound.
Judge swung and missed at a 100 mph fastball for an 0-2 count and took a timeout. On the next pitch, the AL batting champion and two-time MVP hit a fastball off the left field foul pole to forge a 6-6 tie.
It was Judge’s 17th career postseason homer. Before connecting, Judge was seen consulting with Giancarlo Stanton in the dugout during the pitching change.
Judge ended the night 3-for-3 with a walk, his second career three-hit game in the postseason. He set a career playoff high with four RBIs.
After Varland fanned Stanton for the first out of the fifth, Chisholm sent a 1-1 fastball into the second deck of right field seats for a 7-6 lead.
Wells added an RBI single later in the inning. In the sixth, Judge was intentionally walked with the bases empty and one out. After Cody Bellinger doubled Judge to third, Ben Rice lifted a sacrifice fly.
For the Blue Jays, Daulton Varsho hit an RBI single and Anthony Santander had a two-run single in the third.
Rodon allowed six runs on six hits in 2 1/3 innings and was lifted after Santander’s hit. After Rodon’s short start, five New York relievers combined on 6 2/3 scoreless innings.
Fernando Cruz got four outs, and Camilo Doval recorded three outs. Tim Hill (1-0) stranded Clement at second with the score tied in the fifth before pitching a 1-2-3 sixth.
Devin Williams pitched a perfect seventh and got the first out of the eighth. David Bednar ended a five-out save by retiring Guerrero on a grounder to third base.
