The New York Yankees became the first team to overcome a 1-0 series deficit in the Wild Card round since MLB introduced the new playoff format in 2022. While many fans and pundits may not have been confident in the club’s ability to battle back, All-Star Aaron Judge insisted that he and his teammates never wavered.
“I guess you guys didn’t believe us, but [we have] a lot of belief in each other. We know what type of team we have,” Aaron Judge told Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News after the Yankees’ 4-0 Game 3 win over the Boston Red Sox. “There’s a lot of belief in each other.”
Judge went 4-for-11 in the series against Boston and delivered a key RBI single in Game 2.
But any offensive production from the series was largely overshadowed by the performance that rookie starting pitcher Cam Schlittler delivered in the deciding game. The 24-year-old tossed eight innings of scoreless baseball and recorded 12 strikeouts in front of a raucous Bronx crowd as the Yankees earned a date with the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS.
“Knowing the situation, I was just trying to embrace the fans and stay within myself,” Schlittler told MLB.com. “I was able to get more confident after each inning.”
New York will enter their upcoming series against Toronto with confidence, but Judge understands that their opponent will present a unique challenge.
“They’re a complete team,” Judge said of the Blue Jays. “They don’t strike out a lot, so they’re going to put the ball in play and force your hand on defense. But we’re looking forward to it.”
The ALDS between the Yankees and Blue Jays will begin on Saturday.
