"Blue Jays woke up the beast" - Fans erupt as Aaron Judge silences critics with 3-run homer to keep Yankees alive in ALDS Game 3

New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge is one of the most feared hitters in the league, but the two-time MVP's postseason exploits have often drawn criticism from fans and analysts.

However, the reigning AL MVP silenced his critics on Tuesday after a massive three-run home run in Game 3 of the ALDS to keep the Yankees alive in the best-of-five series.

With the Yankees trailing 6-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Judge smashed a 100mph heater from Louis Varland for a three-run home run to tie the game.

Fans reacted to Judge coming up clutch for the Yankees on Tuesday.

"They woke up the beast."

"Best player in baseball history."

"Where would the Yankees be WITHOUT Aaron Judge!"

"He's unreal can't even be mad."

"Order restored in the Bronx - Judge bangs the gavel again 👨‍⚖️💥"

"Fans got their money's worth."

It was Aaron Judge's sixth home run when the team is facing elimination, tying Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz's record. The Yankees took the lead for the first time in the game after Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s solo homer in the fifth inning.

Aaron Judge acknowledged need to attack Blue Jays pitcher after Yankees' remarkable turnaround

Aaron Judge's three-run homer sparked the Yankees offense to life as the Bronx Bombers added three runs after his home run to make it 9-6 and complete a remarkable turnaround.

Judge went 3-for-4 on the night with four RBIs and fell short of hitting for the cycle by a triple. Following his best postseason game of his career, Judge reflected on his game-changing home run.

"He blew my doors off on the pitch before,” Judge said about Louis Varland's 0-2 pitch. “He’s got all the leverage. He’s probably in attack mode. You’ve gotta attack that head on.”

The Yankees captain's home run not only extinguished the ghosts around his postseason performances at the plate, but also kept his team's season alive. The win has forced a Game 4 and the Yankees offense will likely be up against an extended Blue Jays bullpen on Wednesday.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash