If there’s ever a time for Louis Varland to play the part of hero, it is now. The Toronto Blue Jays have their backs against the wall, or rather against the Bronx. Tuesday was honestly supposed to be their day, but they got served a 9-6 loss. Jays fans might not have noticed, but the Yankees lost Game 2, but also showed signs of coming alive.

And lo and behold, Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. simply flipped the game on its head. Now, the Jays are trying to regroup and lock in for Game 4 of the ALDS. It’s a bullpen game, and it’s at Yankee Stadium—for now, the stakes couldn’t be higher. But the question everyone is thinking is whether Louis Varland will finish the job. This is the same 27-year-old who gave the game-tying blast to Judge.

Can he actually save the Jays on enemy turf, or will there be a game 5—with Cam Schlitter rising to the occasion once more?

Can Louis Varland get his redemption in Game 4?

It is almost poetic, honestly. One night after giving up a home run that shook the Bronx, Louis Varland is the guy taking the ball again. However, make no mistake—because this is not some random last-minute move. The Blue Jays had this bullpen day penciled in long before the first pitch of the series, too. With Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, and Shane Bieber as their three starters, a mix-and-match scenario was always going to be in the picture. And also, Varland has earned that trust, so the team can put him at this point as their main guy.

Before Judge’s miracle swing, he had been Toronto’s most reliable reliever for weeks. He even turned in two perfect innings against the Boston Red Sox back on September 25, and that set the tone for a 6-1 win, which finally helped the Jays get the AL East. Still, there is something about facing the pinstripes in their jungle; it is always chaos. Judge’s homer off a 99.7 mph fastball that was nearly a foot aside was a series-defining moment. But just this one slip doesn’t define Varland, and so he will be back on the mound on Wednesday night, and if there is one thing to know, it is that he doesn’t back down.

John Schneider’s plan seems to be clear—get as much as possible from Louis Varland early and then turn things over to Eric Lauer for the bulk of the innings. That combo had worked like a charm in September, and if they can repeat that formula in the Bronx, then the Jays can finally close this thing out. But will it come easily? Not really, and not against the Yankees team that’s 11-3 in potential elimination games at home since 2017. And not against a lineup that suddenly seems to have woken up and smelled blood.

Can Cam Schlittler’s fastball power the New York Yankees?

Facing the Jays from across the diamond is Cam Schlitter again. If you are a Yankee fan, you probably heard about the 24-year-old righty from Walpole, who’s making all the headlines. Schlitter’s breakout moment definitely was his wild card performance against the Red Sox—eight scoreless innings, 12 strikeouts, and no walks. It was the kind of performance that was as calm as it was iconic, and it’s the start that can be called “immortal” in Yankee lore.

Now he is back for another elimination game and against the team that has scored 29 runs through three games. This is not a small number; it just shows how much power the team has. But Cam Schlittler, no matter how much pressure he seems to be shouldering, is not nervous. He had mentioned before Game 3, “I have confidence in myself and in this team. We’re back home in New York, and we play really good here. We don’t like to get swept at home, so it’s just trusting ourselves, forgetting those last two games, and just resetting today. We feel like we’re 0-0, so can’t really think about that too much.” And pretty much that’s what they did in Game 4. 

This calm and composed demeanor is, honestly, his trademark, and Boone, in fact, calls him a super matter-of-fact pitcher. So, yes, he throws triple-digits with that certain ice-cold temp to him, and the Yankees love him. However, Toronto had Schlitter’s number before, and in two regular-season outings, they have collected 12 hits and six runs in just 6.2 innings. Back on September 5, the Jays chased him out of the game after just 12.3 innings, which forced him into 40 pitches before the second inning was even over.

So, whose court is the ball in?

Will the Yankees ensure there is a Game 5? 

This series has been everything that October baseball should be. It was loud, and most importantly, it was unpredictable, and it still is now. Sure, Toronto is trying to prove that this is their new era, that they can finish the job. They have gone 7-7 in their last 14 series clinching chances, and they know this one could define their season. However, these are the New York Yankees we are talking about—not to mention Aaron Judge is red hot; he was all over the place in Game 4. Plus, this is the Yankee Stadium they are playing at—it is the Bronx, their turf. Moreover, six times in the franchise history, they have come back from a 0-2 hole to win a playoff series. And this stat itself should make the Jays fans get goosebumps.