It truly felt as if the Toronto Blue Jays were ALCS-bound. They won each of the first two games of the ALDS against the New York Yankees in blowout fashion, and a four-run top of the third in Game 3 put them in front 6-1 at Yankee Stadium. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. got them started, and it looked like they weren't going to stop. No, games aren't over after just 2.5 innings, but considering how the first two games went, why shouldn't everyone have expected Toronto to win this game easily and sweep their way to the Championship Series?
Not only did the Blue Jays blow their golden opportunity to end it in three games, but they also imploded in record time. The Yankees scored twice in the bottom of the third, three times in the bottom of the fourth, on the strength of Aaron Judge's signature postseason moment, twice in the fifth, and once in the sixth. What was a 6-1 game turned out to be 9-6 Yankees after six. The final score was set right there.
The Blue Jays are still in the driver's seat and can end this series on Wednesday, but the Yankees have life, and a whole lot of momentum. These four Blue Jays deserve a majority of the blame for that reality.
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5) George Springer, designated hitter
There was no better story on the 2025 Toronto Blue Jays than George Springer, a 36-year-old who completely revived his career. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette are the big names, but Springer was their best hitter in the regular season. He was also their worst hitter in Game 4.
The offense is not to blame since they scored enough to win, but they could've scored more had Springer shown up. He went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts and even failed to tack on an insurance run for the Blue Jays when he popped out with two men on.
As Yankees fans know all too well, stars have to show up in October. Guerrero did his part in Game 4, but Springer did not, and his silent night played a role in their demise.
4) John Schneider, manager
There's only so much a manager can do from the dugout. It's ultimately on the players to execute. With that being said, there's no excuse for how this game unraveled for Toronto. It felt like every decision Schneider made was a bad one.
I didn't disagree with pulling Shane Bieber, who simply did not have it, early, but every single change he made after that backfired. He turned to four relievers to cover parts of the next four innings, and each of the four gave up at least one run.
Even some of the lineup decisions he made backfired. He decided to start Anthony Santander after benching him in Game 2, and while he had a big hit, his misplay in the field led to an insurance run. He inserted Addison Barger into the game after the Yankees pulled Carlos Rodon, and Barger's error loomed extremely large in this game. He started Isiah Kiner-Falefa in Barger's spot, and he committed an error which led to the first New York run.
Again, the players had to play better, but every button Schneider pushed backfired. That's a problem.
3) Addison Barger, third baseman
You knew he'd be here. Barger did not start the game, and I had no issue with Schneider inserting him into the game, but if the Yankees find a way to steal this series away, his dropped pop-up will be one of the biggest reasons why.
make it matter pic.twitter.com/CYWIVGOiE8
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) October 8, 2025
At the time, it looked relatively harmless, and I will admit that it looked like the wind made that play much tougher than anyone could've expected, but that ball hit his glove. It simply has to be caught - there's no way around it. The Yankees rallied in this inning to tie the game, and the rest was history. Barger going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts didn't help either. Just an all-around bad game for a player who made a lot of strides this season.
2) Louis Varland, relief pitcher
Louis Varland was the Blue Jays' big bullpen addition at the trade deadline, but he's been a mixed bag with Toronto. He struggled to begin his Blue Jays tenure, but pitched better down the stretch and recorded some huge outs in Game 1 of this series. The same cannot be said about Game 3.
Varland entered in the bottom of the fourth inning with two men on, one man out, and Aaron Judge stepping up to the plate as the tying run. This was as high-leverage a moment as there could've been for Varland.
All Varland had to do was avoid what he evidently couldn't. He had to avoid the Aaron Judge signature moment that tied the game and swung the momentum entirely in New York's favor. Judge finally came through in a big postseason moment, and it came against an important reliever in the Jays' 'pen.
To be fair, the pitch was quite good, as he threw a 100 mph fastball in off the plate. Still, the one result Varland could ill-afford, happened. And to put the cherry on top, Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit what turned out to be the game-winning home run the following inning off Varland, giving New York a 7-6 lead. The bullpen was a problem entering the series, and it was a problem again in Game 3.
1) Shane Bieber, starting pitcher
The Blue Jays purposely slotted Shane Bieber, an experienced postseason veteran, in for this game so he could pitch in a hostile environment at Yankee Stadium. That decision partially worked as Trey Yesavage couldn't have been better in Game 2, but Bieber couldn't have been much worse in Game 3.
The first run he gave up wasn't his fault as he should've been out of the inning had it not been for Kiner-Falefa's error, but the other runs he gave up are ones he has to own up to. Bieber was handed a 6-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning, and he couldn't get out of that inning while remaining in the game. He allowed three straight hits to start the inning, plating one run, and a sacrifice fly scored another. After a two-out walk, Bieber departed for Mason Fluharty.
It was clear, really from the get-go, that Bieber didn't have his best stuff, but it's inexcusable, especially for a pitcher with his pedigree, to fail to get out of the third inning in a game that could've sent the Jays to the ALCS. He allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in 2.2 innings overall, and it felt like he pitched worse than the stat line indicates.
Not only did Bieber fail to shut the Yankees down when it looked like the series was over, but the Blue Jays used six relievers after he left the game. They're preparing to use a bullpen game in Game 4, and Bieber gave them no length. Had he lost a pitcher's duel, that would've been one thing. Failing to get out of the third inning when the offense scored six runs for him is another, and it could be looked at as the reason why the Jays failed to close out the Yankees if, indeed, New York completes a heroic comeback.