NEW YORK — When Yimi Garcia hit Josh Donaldson in the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game, the Yankees were ready in the dugout – Aaron Judge, already slinging his leg over the railing, Miguel Castro looking like a cat ready to pounce.
There didn’t end up being a brawl – though the Blue Jays were served with three ejections before the night was over – but the game proved that the slow simmer surrounding these American League East rivals is quickly starting to boil, with the promise of a lot more as the stakes get higher and the season matures. And just like that sixth inning, Judge is – and will be – ready.
With one out and two on in the ninth inning, Judge hit a monster walk-off home run off Jordan Romano – a no-doubter to the second deck in left, as the Yankees came from behind to defeat the Blue Jays 6-5. It was his second career walk-off hit.
Romano walked Jose Trevino and DJ LeMahieu to bring up Judge, serving up a 1-and-2, chest-high slider tailor made for magic. The two teams have played eight of their 19 games this season, with the Yankees going 5-3, helping set up a rivalry that seems destined for postseason implications.
“That’s a good one,” manager Aaron Boone said. “What a game…It’s a heavyweight game in May. I’d say that if we lost coming in here. Those are fun to be a part of. What a great rally against a really good closer.”
With the score tied at 3, Jonathan Loaisiga walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to lead off the eighth and, one batter later, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. roped Chad Green’s high fastball to the wall in left for a double, chasing a chugging Guerrero, who slid into home plate and putting the Blue Jays up 4-3. Catcher Jose Trevino couldn't handle Aaron Hicks' throw from centerfield, but Guerrero would have likely beaten it anyway. Gurriel moved to third on the throw and scored on Alejandro Kirk’s sacrifice fly.
The Blue Jays scored the first three runs of the game, all in the first two innings against Luis Severino.
George Springer touched up Severino immediately, unloading on a hanging cutter and barreling it 383 feet to left for a first-inning leadoff homer – the 47th leadoff home run of his career. Severino then allowed a line drive single to Bo Bichette, but settled down to strike out Guerrero, Teoscar Hernandez and Gurriel, all swinging.
But the onslaught continued in the second, when Severino allowed an infield single to Kirk – actually a misplayed ball by Torres – and walked Matt Chapman. The No. 8 hitter, Santiago Espinal, then beat a fastball inside, drilling it to left for what was originally ruled a three-run homer. A review, though, showed the ball hit off Hicks’ glove and ricocheted off the wall, making it a two-run double – a change that would alter the tenor of the game in later innings, when the Yankees tied it.
Severino got the next two outs, but walked Bichette to bring up Guerrero, causing Boone to make his way toward the mound, ostensibly to lift him after 61 pitches; Severino vehemently waved off his manager, who then sent pitching coach Matt Blake to talk to him instead. The decision ended up being a good one: The righthander retired the next 10 before Guerrero’s fifth-inning single ended his night. He pitched 4 2/3, allowing the three runs and five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.
The Yankees offense, which had scored only six runs in the previous four games, were no-hit by Yusei Kikuchi for the first five innings before tying the game in the sixth.
LeMahieu hit a leadoff double that inning, Judge had an infield single that was bobbled by Chapman at third and Anthony Rizzo flied out to deep center, allowing LeMahieu to tag up.
Charlie Montoyo then brought in Garcia to face Stanton, who went the other way on an 88.1-mph slider, hitting it 335-feet to right for a Yankee Stadium special – a three-run homer that just cleared the wall in the short porch to tie the score at 3. Garcia then hit the next batter, Donaldson, and was ejected by plate umpire Lance Barrett without a warning. Pitching coach Pete Walker got tossed, too, after arguing.
There was more drama in the seventh, when Loaisiga threw inside to Bichette, causing some chirping from the Blue Jays dugout and Montoyo getting ejected as well.
