A sight no Tigers fan wanted to see occurred on Wednesday during the club's 6–2 victory over the Mets. Lights-out relief pitcher Kyle Finnegan, one of the Tigers' savvy trade deadline pickups and one of the best relievers in all of baseball since the July 31 deadline, appeared to suffer an apparent injury while warming up in the bullpen. The Tigers broadcast showed Finnegan firing a warmup pitch in the bullpen, then squatting down in discomfort. Finnegan then walked through the Tigers dugout and headed down the steps towards the clubhouse.
Will Vest began wamring up in the bullpen in Finnegan's stead, with the former eventually entering the game in the top of the seventh inning, tossing 1 1/3 scoreless in relief. The Tigers announced that Finnegan experienced right groin tightness while warming up, according to Cody Stavenhagen of .
In 14 1/3 innings pitched since his acquisition by Detroit, Finnegan has yet to allow an earned run and has struck out 19 batters.
تحدث نيكو أوريلي لاعب مانشستر سيتي بعد مساهمته في فوز فريقه على ريال مدريد بهدفين لهدف واحد ضمن منافسات مرحلة الدوري بدوري أبطال أوروبا.
وقال نيكو أوريلي في تصريحات نشرتها “سيتي إكسترا”: “شعور رائع، ياله من جو رائع، ياله من ملعب، من الصعب اللعب هنا لكننا حصدنا الثلاث نقاط وهذا هو الأهم”.
وأضاف حول هدفه الأول في دوري أبطال أوروبا على ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو: “هدف مميز للغاية، أنا في غاية السعادة وسيبقى هدفًا محفورًا في ذاكرتي ولكن كما قلت الأهم هو النقاط الثلاث وهذا ما حققناه”.
اقرأ أيضاً.. فرص مانشستر سيتي في التأهل لدور الـ16 من دوري أبطال أوروبا بعد الفوز على ريال مدريد
وواصل عن دوره مع مانشستر سيتي هذا الموسم: “أستمتع بذلك، أتعامل مع كل شيء بهدوء، كل مباراة على حدة وأعمل بجد في كل جلسة تدريبية وأنا أستمتع بذلك وأحبه”.
واختتم: “اللعب ضد ريال مدريد والفوز عليهم يظهر مدى جودة أدائنا حالياً ومستوانا المميز”.
The Blue Jays were defeated Wednesday by the Red Sox in an AL East rivalry clash, and the last out was certainly one the team will be hoping to forget.
Catcher Alejandro Kirk hit a line drive into right field and began making his way to first base. He certainly didn't run with too much urgency, as despite the ball reaching the outfield, he was thrown out by Wilyer Abreu at first base.
Addison Barger, who was the runner on first base, looked on in disbelief after his teammate was thrown out at first base to end the game, clearly displeased with what had transpired.
Toronto had been held off the scoresheet until the ninth inning when Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a solo shot to get them on the board. A win was unlikely given the six-run deficit, but Kirk getting thrown at first base was certainly an unceremonious way to end the game.
With the Blue Jays losing and the Yankees beating the White Sox, the teams are now tied atop the AL East at 90-68. Boston meanwhile, is three games back in the division with four to play, but is inching closer to clinching a wild card spot.
Manchester City “will be interested” in a title-winning manager to replace Pep Guardiola when the time comes for him to move on.
Guardiola assesses Man City's title chances
City make the trip to Aston Villa in the Premier League this weekend, looking to stay in touch with Arsenal and continue their good recent form, especially Erling Haaland.
When asked about the state of the title race on Friday, Guardiola gave a rather sarcastic response, but also feels positive about where his team are at currently.
“Our mentality and our body language are in the right spo,t and it will make us stable but (we need to) play better during 95 minutes. In the first two games, three games, for sure we are out and Liverpool is already done, and now it looks like Liverpool is done, and I tell you that they will be back.
“I said many times, I know all the pundits, all the specialists, former players, they know everything that is going to happen after five games. I’m not able to do that. I always wait 10, 15 games to know exactly what is going on but I think obviously Liverpool, Arsenal are there, someone else will be there, and hopefully we can be there.”
It remains to be seen how long Guardiola will stay in charge of City, but he will need to be replaced eventually, and an interesting name has been mentioned as an option to come in.
Title-winning manager backed to succeed Guardiola
Writing for Sky Germany, relayed by Sport Witness, Didi Hamann revealed Vincent Kompany could replace Guardiola at Manchester City one day, and Bayern’s recent contract extension may well have been designed to ward off the interest from the Etihad.
“FC Bayern extended Kompany’s contract until 2029, even though he still had 20 months left on his contract. I mean, the extension wasn’t a must, but I understand why they did it.
“Bayern probably have in mind that Manchester City will be interested in Kompany at some point when Pep Guardiola retires. It would be interesting to know if Kompany has a clause in his contract. Christoph Freund didn’t reveal anything about that on Wednesday evening, but he didn’t completely deny it either.”
Kompany’s status as a playing legend at City, and the fact that he is now a Bundesliga champions in charge of Bayern Munich, does make him a fairly obvious contender to be Guardiola’s successor at the Etihad.
At 39, he is an exciting manager who is growing all the time, with Bayern youngster’s Tom Bischof recent comments highlighting the effect he is having at Bayern, who are off to their best start to a season in their storied history.
Man City have Fernandinho 2.0 who's "one of the best players in the world"
Pep Guardiola may have found his new Fernandinho at Manchester City…
By
Joe Nuttall
Oct 24, 2025
City fans will hope that Guardiola is still around for years to come, with the Spaniard showing few signs of wanting to move on, but Kompany should be kept an eye on as a leading option, assuming he continues to impress at Bayern.
West Ham chiefs have one eye fixed on the January transfer window as Nuno Espírito Santo reportedly pleads for new signings behind-the-scenes.
Nuno Espírito Santo set to be backed by West Ham in January
It has been a disastrous start to the season for West Ham, who are surely candidates for this year’s relegation dogfight.
The east Londoners have conceded more goals than any other side in the Premier League so far and would be at the foot of the table, if not for Wolves being that bit worse, with Vitor Pereira’s side yet to win a single game.
Nuno is also still waiting for his first victory as West Ham boss since replacing Graham Potter at the end of last month, but judging by their torrid performance at home to Brentford, he could be forced to wait a while longer.
Sunderland 3-0 West Ham
West Ham 1-5 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham
West Ham 0-3 Tottenham
West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace
Everton 1-1 West Ham
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
West Ham 0-2 Brentford
The Bees ran riot at the London Stadium, attempting 17 shots at goal, and the 2-0 defeat flattered a West Ham side who looked bereft of answers.
Nuno’s much-changed line-up against Keith Andrews’ men raised plenty of eyebrows as the Portuguese experiments to find his best team, but it doesn’t get any easier for West Ham, who travel to face newly-promoted Leeds United at Elland Road on Friday.
Concerns surround whether West Ham really have enough quality and depth in their squad to compete in world football’s most glamorous division, with chairman David Sullivan and the board reportedly planning a small spending spree in the winter.
According to Sky Sports this week, West Ham are targeting a new defender, midfielder and forward once the winter window opens, and Nuno has got “confirmation” that funds will be available to strengthen the team.
Other reports claim that Nuno has urged West Ham chiefs to bring in much-needed January additions, and this is backed by GiveMeSport, who’ve shared an update of their own on Sullivan’s recruitment plans.
West Ham hold internal talks over signing Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos
As per GMS, Nuno has told Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady to attack the market once it reopens past the turn of the year.
The tactician personally wants a new addition to his backline, a technician for the engine room and an attacker to provide that extra injection of creativity going forward.
In terms of the midfield, West Ham have set their sights on a very intriguing option — Chelsea star Andrey Santos — and they’ve held internal talks over a potential move.
The Brazil international, who bagged 11 goals and five assists on loan at Strasbourg last season, has featured in nearly every game for Chelsea so far, with Maresca showing real faith in Santos as a key component of his midfield.
Santos can play anywhere in the centre, whether that be further forward as a CAM or in a deep-lying anchor role, so the appeal for West Ham is pretty obvious, especially considering the 21-year-old’s excellent form over the last 12 months.
Nuno apparently wants a box-to-box style midfielder who can add pace in the middle of the park, something which West Ham sorely lack right now, even if highly-rated youngster Freddie Potts is ready and raring for selection.
That being said, Maresca appears to be a massive fan of Santos, so it remains to be seen whether the Italian would sanction a mid-season departure for a player he’s used very often so far.
Interestingly, Santos isn’t the only Brazilian who West Ham are considering.
According to other reports, West Ham have already spoken to Real Madrid about signing Endrick, and that deal looks far more likely with Los Blancos prepared to green-light a loan move away for the striker amid his limited minutes at the Bernabeu.
The Tigers have some decisions to make, none bigger than the organization’s plans for back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.
Does Detroit go all in on making a World Series push in Skubal’s last year before he hits free agency? Make a trade now to garner assets should the big righthander decide to walk, perhaps? Or, can the Tigers try to extend him although he’s likely to see the richest contract ever for a pitcher next offseason?
Quite the conundrum, which Tigers brass have been close to silent on when asked. President of baseball operations Scott Harris spoke at Major League Baseball’s winter meetings and although he would not discuss the Skubal rumors directly, he provided an interesting response when asked about the organization’s strategy regarding outside offers with a decision ahead.
“The clearest way I can answer that is I don’t believe in untouchable players at any level,” Harris said via MLB Network. “It’s not a commentary on Tarik, it’s more of a blanket approach to building a winning organization. My job is to make this organization better, which means that I need to listen to every opportunity no matter how likely or unlikely it is to actually happen. I got to listen because we got to get better as an organization. That’s our approach, we don’t have everything figured out, but it’s led to a ton of success in a very short period of time.”
Harris was asked about Skubal’s future directly, where he wouldn’t discuss or speculate on trades for his ace or any other players. You can listen to his comments in full below:
He left plenty open for interpretation, but the fact that the Tigers will listen to trade offers surrounding Skubal (or any player for that matter) will make some ears perk up. That doesn’t mean Detroit will deal debatably the best pitcher in baseball, but the front office won’t hang up as Skubal consistently hears his name in rumors.
The Tigers have made the playoffs two years in a row and dealing the dominant ace would certainly change things heading into next season. A move that sends Skubal elsewhere would be shocking and a tough pill for Tigers fans to swallow. But, as he enters his last season under team control, letting Skubal walk for nothing but draft compensation would be tough to swallow, too.
With only one year left on his deal, it’s tough to see Skubal netting a massive haul on the trade market. However, maybe another team is willing to give up a considerable amount to bring in one of baseball’s premier starters if there’s a strong chance of retaining him once his contract expires.
Whether Skubal is truly available remains to be seen. What’s certain, though, is Harris will listen once the phone rings.
Mesmo com a realização de eventos musicais nos dias que antecederam a partida, o Palmeiras conseguiu mandar o duelo contra o Flamengo, pela terceira rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, no Allianz Parque.
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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte
No entanto, mesmo após a substituição do antigo composto termoplástico pela cortiça, que demorou aproximadamente dois meses para ser realizado, o gramado do estádio segue gerando discussão nas redes sociais.
Torcedores rivais consideram um descaso com o jogo realizar a partida em um campo com essas condições. Os palmeirenses, por sua vez, elogiaram o gramado, mesmo concordando que ele não está “bonito visualmente”. Confira a seguir alguns comentários!
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HISTÓRICO DO CONFRONTO ENTRE PALMEIRAS E FLAMENGO
O duelo já aconteceu em 107 oportunidades até o momento, e o Verdão tem leve vantagem no número de vitórias. Foram 39 triunfos do Palmeiras, 36 do Flamengo e 32 empates entre as equipes. Na última vez em que os times se enfrentaram, no Brasileirão do ano passado, vitória do Rubro-Negro por 3 a 0, no Maracanã.
رد ييس توروب، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، على حاجة الأحمر إلى تدعيمات خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية.
وقال توروب في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “كان لدي عروض أخرى غير الأهلي، وهذا يجعلني أكثر حرصًا وتحفيزًا لكي تكون لي فرصة مع النادي الكبير الذي يتوافق مع طموحاتي التي تتجه نحو الحصول على ألقاب، أنا أحب الضغوط وأعيش معها يوميًا، وإذا لم أتحمل الضغوط فلم يكن عليّ أن أتجه إلى تدريب الأهلي”.
وتابع: “أعرف معنى دوري أبطال إفريقيا للأهلي، أن تفوز على كل إفريقيا هي البطولة الأهم، ولا يجب أن ننسى الدوري المصري لأنه بوابة الوصول إلى إفريقيا، لعبنا في دوري المجموعات وحصلنا على 4 نقاط من مباراتين، ولدينا 4 مباريات ونريد أن نفوز بهذا اللقب”.
طالع.. ييس توروب: لاعب الأهلي تطور كثيرًا.. والفوز على الزمالك “شعور عظيم”
وأكمل: “لاعبو الأهلي لديهم إمكانات عظيمة، مهارات فردية، لاعبون عظماء، شخصيات قوية، مجهود جماعي، يعملون معًا، لديهم روح الجماعة والفريق”.
وواصل: “هل الأهلي يحتاج إلى لاعبين في انتقالات يناير؟ كمدير فني وبشكل يومي أركز مع المجموعة المتواجدة معي الآن، وأحرص على أن كل لاعب يرى ما المطلوب منه”.
وأضاف: “لدي حوارات مع إدارة النادي بشأن المستقبل وكيف نكون أقوى، ونرى الفريق في المستقبل، وأركز في الأساس مع هذه المجموعة وأجعلهم أفضل، ومع فتح سوق الانتقالات ربما سنأخذ قرارًا باستحضار لاعبين جدد، وربما يكون اللاعبون القادمون أقوى مما هم عندي، ولكن أنا راضٍ عما هم معي”.
وردًا على هل الأهلي في احتياج إلى مهاجم، قال: “تركيزي على اللاعبين المتواجدين حاليًا، وأحاول أن أساعدهم ونصل إلى النتيجة الأفضل، وما أحتاجه في سوق الانتقالات والمنافسات سأنقله إلى رئيس النادي ومجلس الإدارة وليس من خلال الإعلام”.
واستكمل: “مسؤوليتي أن أحقق تلك الأهداف المطلوبة مني، الأهم أن أنظر إلى المهاجمين، نحن ندافع بكل اللاعبين ونهاجم بهم جميعًا، والأهم ألا أخصص الرؤية على لاعب أو اثنين فقط، فهذا غير عادل، أركز مع الفريق ككل”.
وعلق على مباراة الجيش الملكي المغربي: “ينبغي أن أكون حريصًا جدًا عندما أتحدث عن التحكيم، شيء غريب بالنسبة لي أنني ألعب في البطولة الأكبر والأقوى ولا توجد لدينا تقنية الفيديو، هذا يعطي المساعدة للحكام، لأن عليهم أن يقرروا في جزء من الثانية”.
وتابع: “ما حدث في مباراة الجيش الملكي بوجود المشجعين وإلقائهم أشياء في أرضية الملعب، فهو شيء جيد كزخم جماهيري، ولكن هناك فاصل ما بين هذا الزخم والجمهور، وأخشى على اللاعبين”.
وواصل بخصوص أليو ديانج: “لن أعلق كثيرًا على لاعب بعينه، ديانج لعب دقائق جيدة جدًا، هو جزء من الفريق، وأدى بشكل طيب جدًا مع باقي اللاعبين، ما الذي يمكن أن يتم تحديده، وما الذي يمكن خلال الشهر المقبل أو الأشهر الستة المقبلة، هذا سأناقشه مع أشخاص آخرين في غرف مغلقة”.
هل تابعت منتخب مصر في كأس العرب، وهل هناك لاعبون لفتوا نظرك سواء في مصر أو منتخبات أخرى، وأبرزهم يزن النعيمات؟: “تابعت البطولة، وهناك أربعة لاعبين من الأهلي يشاركون في هذا الفريق، وكنت على تواصل قريب جدًا منهم، وللأسف حدثت إصابات كريم فؤاد وأفشة، والمؤسف أنهم لم يتأهلوا للدور المقبل”.
وأضاف: “حاولت أن أقرأ قليلًا عن تاريخ الأهلي وخاصة المدربين، كان يوجد كولر من سويسرا أدى بشكل جيد، وكان لدي زميل يعمل في ألمانيا لم أتواصل معه على المستوى الشخصي، ولكنني سمعت كثيرًا عن كولر وما حققه هنا، هو شرف كبير أن أكون جزءًا من هذا النادي، وأن أساعده ليحقق أكثر وأكثر من الإنجازات الأخرى”.
وأشار: “الماضي سيعطيك الوقود اللازم لرؤية المستقبل، عندما أتيت إلى هنا لم أخش الماضي، ولكن خشيت مما سيحدث في المستقبل، أنا هنا لأنني أريد أن أصنع تاريخًا جديدًا مع الفريق، وأن يكون هناك أساس قوي لتحقيق لقب فريق القرن الحادي والعشرين”.
وكشف عن سبب تواجده في عزاء محمد صبري، لاعب الزمالك السابق: “أحد الزملاء قال لي: احترامًا لهذا اللاعب، من الجيد جدًا أن نكون متواجدين في العزاء، احترامًا له، وهذا شيء طبيعي جدًا أن نظهر احترامنا لهذا الإنسان، ولذلك ذهبنا إلى هناك”.
وأشار: “أنا سعيد بعودة إمام عاشور بعد الإصابة، ولا ينبغي أن ننسى أنه كان بعيدًا عن كرة القدم لعدة أسابيع، علينا أن نعيده ببطء خطوة بخطوة، ربما سيكون بديلاً أو جزءًا من الفريق، سنرى جودة هذا اللاعب”.
وأضاف: “إمام عاشور متواجد مع المنتخب الوطني، وأتمنى له أن يكون لديه حصص تدريبية جيدة جدًا يبني بها قدراته البدنية، مدرب اللياقة البدنية بالأهلي على تواصل مع مدرب اللياقة البدنية في المنتخب، وأتمنى أن يكون مع منتخب مصر في كأس أمم إفريقيا، ولكن مع عودتنا إلى دوري أبطال إفريقيا والدوري، سنحتاج إلى كل اللاعبين الجاهزين لأفضل مستوى ممكن”.
Chelsea have been given a boost in their search for a world-class striker next year, as one of Europe’s finest marksmen could choose a switch to Stamford Bridge over Barcelona and PSG.
After their damning 2-1 loss at home to newly-promoted Sunderland, Enzo Maresca’s side have returned to winning ways after three victories in their last four games across all competitions.
In truth, the criticism of Chelsea can be overblown sometimes, considering that defeat to the Black Cats was their first and only loss in nine matches — a run which includes impressive victories over Liverpool, Tottenham and José Mourinho’s Benfica in the Champions League.
The Blues are now third in the Premier League table and six points behind league leaders Arsenal, but pundits like Jamie Carragher are adamant that Chelsea could use something different to their pretty similar options throughout the team.
Reports suggest that BlueCo partly agree with Carragher’s statement, as they’re making transfer plans ahead of next year despite spending close to £300 million in the summer.
The Premier League’s biggest summer spenders
Team
Spent
Received
Net Spend
Liverpool
£415,000,000
£187,000,000
£228,000,000
Chelsea
£285,000,000
£288,000,000
-£3,000,000
Arsenal
£255,000,000
£9,000,000
£246,000,000
Newcastle
£250,000,000
£152,000,000
£98,000,000
Man Utd
£216,000,000
£68,000,000
£148,000,000
Nottm Forest
£205,000,000
£107,000,000
£98,000,000
Tottenham
£181,000,000
£36,000,000
£145,000,000
Sunderland
£162,000,000
£44,000,000
£118,000,000
Man City
£152,000,000
£53,000,000
£99,000,000
West Ham
£124,000,000
£55,000,000
£69,000,000
via BBC
After his latest injury blow and being hauled off just six minutes into Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Qarabag last week, midfielder Romeo Lavia is expected to be sidelined for at least one month with a quadriceps problem, and Chelsea were already looking at new midfield targets before the Belgian’s return to rehab.
It is unclear whether Chelsea could look to strike a midfield deal in January, or whether it’s one for next summer instead, but it is reportedly more clear that Maresca wants a new centre-back to come in at the very least as BlueCo prioritise a defender.
Other media sources indicate that Chelsea may well bring in another striker next year as well, despite Joao Pedro’s excellent form and the return of Liam Delap.
Julian Alvarez reportedly refuses to rule out joining Chelsea ahead of Barca and PSG
Speaking to the Chelsea Chronicle, journalist Graeme Bailey has said that £211,000-per-week forward Julian Alvarez is one to keep an eye on.
The former Man City sensation has dazzled under Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid this term, netting nine times in his last 15 outings, and he finished his debut 24/25 season at the La Liga side with nearly 30 goals in all competitions.
This incredible form is attracting interest from some of Europe’s biggest hitters, including PSG and Barca, but Bailey has suggested that Alvarez is refusing to rule out a Chelsea move.
Maresca could have his pick of new centre-forwards with the pacey Emmanuel Emegha poised to arrive from sister club Strasbourg in 2026.
Alvarez would be the cherry on top, but according to some reports in Argentina, those within Barca are convinced that Atletico could demand as much as £176 million to let the 25-year-old leave – so Chelsea may even have to break the Premier League transfer record.
NEW YORK — He heard the boos in 2022, when he followed his American League MVP season with seven strikeouts in the first two games of the division series. He heard the gasps of his teammates when the Guardians intentionally walked Juan Soto to face him in the DS last year. He heard the questions over the last three years about whether, after carrying his teammates to October every year, he was letting them down when they got there.
On Tuesday, as he watched his rocket to left field to see whether it would stay fair, save the Yankees’ season and rewrite his postseason legacy, Aaron Judge heard only silence.
“You just got so much adrenaline pumping and you’re so locked in on the moment,” he said. The noise only turned back on for him as he rounded third base to tie a game the Yankees would win 9–6 to stave off elimination and force Game 4 of the ALDS against the Blue Jays. Toronto had led Game 3 6–1 in the top of the third; the comeback was tied for the second largest in MLB history to avoid postseason elimination, and also tied the second-largest postseason comeback in franchise history.
The moment was both impossible and inevitable. The question surrounding Judge most of this year was not whether he would win his third AL MVP award in four years (almost certainly yes) but whether he would finally play to his talent level in the postseason (much less clear). He has always rejected that narrative, but ignoring it has not made it go away. Only producing moments like he did on Tuesday can do that.
Just before the chaos, there was that instant of stillness, as Judge at the plate, Toronto reliever Louis Varland on the mound, Trent Grisham at first base and Austin Wells at second all wondered if this would be just another missed opportunity. “I felt like I made good contact, and I thought we had a chance,” Judge said. “You just never know with the wind, if it's going to push it foul, going to keep curving or not. But I guess a couple ghosts out there helped kind of keep that fair.”
Ghosts and wrists, perhaps. Even if the moment had been lesser, the shot would still have been impressive: It came off a 99.7-mph fastball 1.2 feet from the center of the plate, almost at his elbows. It was the first time since MLB began tracking such things in 2008 that a hitter homered off a pitch thrown so hard and also so far inside. Considering how much velocity has increased in recent years, there’s a good chance it’s the first time in MLB history.
No one who has ever tried to do that could believe it.
“It would be in the catcher’s glove if I tried to do that,” said Wells.
“I can’t even comprehend,” said reliever Tim Hill.
“We all went over the video in the dugout after that about 10 times,” said second baseman Jazz Chisholm.
“I get yelled at for swinging at them out of the zone, but now I’m getting praised for it,” Judge said wryly, his only acknowledgement of the criticism. Mostly he stuck to well-worn phrases: “Just trying to do my job, what I’ve been trying to do all year. Not trying to do too much. Guy’s on base, drive him in. If no one’s on base, try to get a rally going. That’s all you can do.”
Judge’s game-changing home run had everyone in the stadium staring down the left field line. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
He is now hitting .500 this postseason. Even that performance, though, had not been enough: He had produced only walks and singles, and they had come in such low-leverage moments that in the first two games of the DS he had actually made the Yankees 0.69% less likely to win the World Series, according to Baseball Reference. In his one key at-bat, down two with the bases loaded and no outs in the sixth inning of Game 1, he struck out waving at what he realized immediately would have been ball four.
“Definitely,” he said afterward. “I think all you guys saw that.”
The narrative is not always fair, and it is not always easy to overcome. Ted Williams got 25 career postseason at-bats, had hits in five of them and was forever thought of as someone who didn’t come through when it mattered. Barry Bonds hit .471 and slugged 1.294 in the 2002 World Series, but the Giants lost and he’d hit .196 in his previous five Octobers, so no one cared. Mike Trout has one hit in 15 postseason plate appearances; barring an Angels organizational turnaround, his career will be seen as a missed opportunity.
Before Tuesday, in 20 high-leverage postseason plate appearances, Judge had three walks, two singles and a double for a batting average of .176 and a slugging percentage of .235. He had never homered. (League average in those spots was a .225 average and a .377 slugging percentage.)
“I don’t worry about Aaron and his state, even understanding all the outside noise,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. (For his part, Blue Jays manager John Schneider joked that his plan for attacking Judge the rest of the way was to hope “he gets a bad night’s sleep and has some bad food tonight or something like that. Give him credit, man, that was a ridiculous swing.”)
After the Blue Jays jumped out to that 6–1 lead, the Yankees embarked on what felt like a sequence emblematic of their season: a furious comeback attempt that would fall short. But Grisham and Judge led off the bottom of the third with back-to-back doubles, and Cody Bellinger singled to make it 6–3. With one out in the fourth, Wells popped a ball to short left field and took second in astonishment as third baseman Addison Barger failed to come up with it. Grisham worked a walk. As he stood at first base, he thought, .
“Knowing the moment, knowing how he is, his personality—it just felt like the right time,” Grisham said afterward.
Varland’s first pitch was a knuckle curve that Judge chopped foul down the third-base line. Next came a 100-mph fastball down the middle that Judge could not catch up to. With an 0–2 count, Varland uncorked that 100-mph fastball up and in. Judge caught up.
“I think it’s all timing,” Judge said. “That’s what a lot of hitting comes down to. If you’re not ready to swing and ready early, you’re not going to hit anything. After he blew my doors off on the pitch before, I said, ” He added, “He’s got all the leverage, so he’s probably in attack mode, is what I’m thinking. You’ve got to attack that head-on. You can’t be passive or try to be scared in the box. You’ve just got to trust your play and trust your gut and kind of see what happens.”
After what happened, Jazz Chisholm’s go-ahead home run and Wells’s single to drive in an insurance run in the fifth felt almost like formalities. But that the Yankees got 6 ⅔ scoreless innings from a sometimes beleaguered bullpen bodes well for them.
The Blue Jays are still in the better position, needing only one win in the next two games, but somehow it doesn’t feel that way after they blew a five-run lead for the first time this season. In Game 4, the Yankees will start Cam Schlittler, who last week in the winner-take-all AL wild card series Game 3 against his hometown Red Sox authored one of the best playoff games of all time (eight innings, no runs, no walks, 12 strikeouts). The Blue Jays will counter with a bullpen game. After six relievers pitched on Tuesday, the Yankees’ hitters have now seen every arm on the staff. And if they can force a Game 5, anything can happen there.
Judge’s legacy is still incomplete—and in New York, he will be a disappointment until he wins a World Series. (Perhaps until he wins several.) If they lose on Wednesday, this season will still be a failure. Judge knows that as well as anyone—and for as much as he tries to keep an even keel, he believes as much himself. But for one night, at least, he quieted the noise.