The Toronto Blue Jays have been lights out against the Yankees. They have gifted the Pinstripes on a platter, two brutal losses, and handed them a do-or-die situation. They have looked unstoppable, and if you ask many, a sweep seems possible. But here is the thing: the next game is to be in the Bronx, and if there is anything about October baseball, it is the fact that nothing is ever over until the last out.

Game 3 on Tuesday night is all about survival for the Yankees. They are down 0-2, so all that brings is that the margin for error is none. Jays, though, cannot get comfortable in their hot seats, because the thing is that Yankees veterans have experience in being in these tough spots before. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton know what it is like to have the postseason breathing down your neck, and they are ready to show it once again.

Sure, the Yanks have been hammered in this series so far, outscored 23-8, with the Jays smashing eight homers to New York’s one. Even then, they see things that Toronto doesn’t, and that might just be enough to get them past this Game 3.

Jeff Passan summed up the situation perfectly: “The Yankees will send the ALDS back to Toronto. As underwater as they look, the Yankees have a pathway back into this series despite a 2-0 deficit. Shane Bieber, the Blue Jays’ Game 3 starter, is going to fill up the strike zone — and has been homer-prone in recent starts. And with the short porch in right field calling, the Yankees’ left-handed bats will answer. Getting to Game 4 brings Cam Schlittler, who, in his first postseason start, threw eight shutout innings and punched out 12 without walking a batter. Although the Blue Jays are ball-in-play merchants, Schlittler’s stuff is overwhelming enough to quiet them and make for a Game 5 for the ages at Rogers Centre.” And honestly, there is no lie in this- Yankees need not lose all hope.

And you have to remember that the New York Yankees lost Game 2, but they did show spark in the game’s garbage time. They scored seven runs on 10 hits once rookie Trey Yesavage was pulled. Ben Rice even pointed out that those at-bats do matter because they’re chances to get familiarized with Toronto’s bullpen before the real do-or-die moment comes.

If the Yankees want a comeback, though, it won’t come easy. It will surely take a near-perfect mix of great hitting, awesome pitching, and mostly Aaron Judge, their captain, waking up from his early postseason slump. Plus, the Yankees have a home-field advantage, as they are playing in Yankee Stadium, and the fact that Jays pitchers need to be perfect gives them a huge chance to keep the series alive. The Yankees have a chance to shut down Shane Bieber and the Toronto Blue Jays from a sweep. Although they did make a decision, it has many scratching their heads.

New York Yankees make a shocking shuffle in lineup

The New York Yankees are staring down at the possibility of an early exit from the playoffs after dropping the first two games at the Rogers Center. Heading back to the Bronx, the venue may have changed, but the challenges—those are still there. For Game 3, most of the lineup has remained unchanged. But there is one exception, and it is Paul Goldschmidt. 

Goldschmidt won’t be in the starting nine, and instead Ben Rice, the rookie, will step in at first base and will hit fourth in the batting order. And this move in this do-or-die situation is a bold one, because at this point, every at-bat matters here. Plus, on the mound for the Jays is Shane Bieber, and the numbers are stark. Right-handed hitters like Paul Goldschmidt have had success against him, slashing .297/.342/.595 with six home runs this season. But lefties like Rice? The numbers are not promising—156/.247/.247 with just two homers.

Hence, this matchup in Game 3 feels risky or so given Bieber’s return from his Tommy John surgery has kept him under the radar this season. Goldschmidt, meanwhile, has been great in both the regular season and the postseason, and he showed promise in his limited playoff at-bats, too. Now, with the Yankees struggling to get the runners on base despite them having heavy hitters like Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton, it makes them sit a veteran like Goldschmidt questionable.

For now, the Yankees are banking on the crowd to lift the spirits of the team. But the stakes are high, and honestly, Aaron Boone is already under scrutiny even by veterans, and if things go wrong in this game, Bronx fans won’t go easy on him.