Blue Jays beat Yankees 11-9 on July 3, 2025, to tie for first in the AL East. Davis Schneider and Addison Barger homered in a wild, back-and-forth win.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
Take a breath, Blue Jays fans. In a game that had everything—a first-inning explosion, a catastrophic collapse, and a nail-biting finish—your Toronto Blue Jays are officially tied for first place in the American League East. After an absolutely bonkers 11-9 victory over the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre, the Jays have erased a division lead the Bronx Bombers have held since mid-April. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't easy, but it was a statement.
An 8-0 lead vanished in the blink of an eye, but in the end, only one thing matters: a share of first place in the AL East.
It started like a dream. The Blue Jays came out swinging, hanging a seven-spot on Yankees starter Will Warren before many fans had even found their seats. The onslaught was relentless. Addison Barger blasted a three-run homer, Davis Schneider followed up with a two-run shot of his own, and Alejandro Kirk capped the party with a two-run double. When the dust settled, it was 7-0 Toronto, and a series-tying win felt like a formality. Schneider would later add his second homer of the game, pushing the lead to a seemingly insurmountable 8-0.
But this is the Yankees, and no lead is ever safe. The game turned on a dime in the sixth inning. New York exploded for six runs, with Giancarlo Stanton's first home run of the season doing significant damage. The comfortable lead was suddenly razor-thin. Then, in the eighth, the inevitable happened. Aaron Judge, who had already been intentionally walked for the 22nd time this season (tying a Mickey Mantle record), stepped up and crushed his 31st homer of the year off Yimi García to tie the game 9-9. The stadium fell silent as the eight-run lead officially evaporated.
After the gut-punch of Judge's homer, a lesser team might have folded. Not these Jays. In the bottom of the eighth, they manufactured a run in the most chaotic way possible. George Springer worked a crucial walk, showed his veteran savvy by stealing second, and then sprinted home on a wild pitch from Devin Williams to score the go-ahead run. It wasn't a towering homer, but a gritty, heads-up play that won the game. For good measure, Addison Barger, the hero of the first inning, tacked on an insurance run with an RBI single, finishing his night with four RBIs. Jeff Hoffman then slammed the door in the ninth for his 20th save, and the celebration was on.
The dust has settled, and the Jays sit at 48-38, tied with the Yankees for the division lead. The job isn't finished. Thursday's series finale is now one of the biggest games of the year. Chris Bassitt takes the mound against Clarke Schmidt with a chance to win the series and take sole possession of first place. After a night like this, you can't afford to miss it. This team is for real.
