Yankees’ Comeback Victory in Game 3 of ALDS

The Yankees’ starting pitcher has had a rough outing lately—15 runs in just eight innings over three ALDS games. Yet, remarkably, they remain in the hunt. This is largely thanks to Aaron Judge and, well, the stellar performance of the bullpen, particularly in a tense moment against the Blue Jays.

Fernando Cruz, Camilo Doval, Tim Hill, and especially Devin Williams and David Bednar stepped up, delivering an impressive 6⅓ scoreless innings, leading to an emotional 9-6 comeback win in the Bronx.

Manager Aaron Boone had no choice but to call on the bullpen early in the third inning. Rodon exited the game while the Yankees were ahead 6-1, but sadly, they were quickly on the brink of elimination, just 21 outs away.

What followed was a surprising turnaround. The hitters found their groove, and the bullpen finished the game without allowing a single run, recording the last 20 outs with just three hits against them and striking out nine batters. This was no small feat against a Blue Jays lineup that has troubled Yankees pitching.

The turning point came with Cruz taking the mound in the third inning when he faced a runner on first. He struck out Addison Berger and then watched as Andres Jimenez grounded out. In the fourth, despite allowing a single to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Doval managed to get Alejandro Kirk to ground out, narrowly escaping a potential threat.

Judge’s pivotal three-run homer in the fourth inning was a highlight, and it sparked the Yankees to tie the game, gradually building momentum while the bullpen kept the Blue Jays in check.

Hill, inheriting a jam inherited from Doval in the fifth inning, struck out Berger and went on to retire the Jays in order in the sixth. Williams and Bednar then nailed down the final outs.

Williams had a rollercoaster regular season, pitching in 67 games with none featuring three outs or more, which made his seven scoreless innings all the more remarkable. He showed real determination on the mound, retiring Guerrero before returning in the eighth to strike out Anthony Santander after allowing a single to Ernie Clement.

Bednar, not the most popular figure in the Bronx, surprisingly received a standing ovation as he left the mound. It was his first postseason appearance this October, and he delivered when it counted, navigating a tough eighth inning against key hitters.

George Springer swung at a splitter, and Nathan Rooks took a close look at another one to no avail. Guerrero faced a diving grounder from third baseman Amed Rosario. When the dust settled, and Bednar was finally able to breathe easy, he celebrated with Austin Wells.