The New York Yankees are on the verge of elimination from the MLB playoffs as they prepare for Game 3 against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays have one foot in the next phase of the playoffs, holding a comfortable 2-0 lead over Aaron Boone‘s Yankees. Boone is practically fighting for his job and his team’s postseason, which is why he is already moving his pieces to find solutions to keep his hopes alive.
The Bronx Bombers are on the verge of postseason elimination after a 13-7 loss to Toronto in Game 2 of the American League Division Series. The Toronto Blue Jays made New York Yankees suffer from start to finish in Game 2 of the 2025 MLB Division Series, played this past Sunday at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada. What can Aaron Boone do to change this situation?
Aaron Boone would trade Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt
According to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo, Boone is considering making one or two changes to the lineup for Game 3 before facing Toronto right-hander Shane Bieber. Castillo hinted that a key lineup change could see New York switch left-handed first baseman Ben Rice for veteran and former MVP-winning right-hander Paul Goldschmidt.
Through four games this postseason, Rice is hitting .267 with a home run and three RBIs, while Goldschmidt has four hits in seven at-bats, with a .571 batting average. Going with Goldschmidt is a risky move, but on the verge of wasting what is believed to be a roster capable of winning the organization’s 28th World Series, Boone trusts the analytics.
Against left-handed hitters this season, Bieber has been tremendous, allowing just two home runs and holding the opposition to a .156 batting average. Against right-handed hitters, the former Cy Young winner is much worse, allowing six home runs, a .297 batting average and a .936 OPS. As Castillo mentioned, Goldschmidt has a .500 career batting average against Bieber in six appearances
Aaron Judge showed frustration after great performance by Trey Yesavage
On a night that Toronto fans won’t soon forget, Trey Yesavage stole the show by leaving the New York Yankees completely disoriented. At just 22 years old, Yesavage showed impressive dominance, setting a new strikeout record for a Blue Jays pitcher in the postseason. His fastball and sky-diving curveball were simply unreachable for New York bats
Aaron Judge, the Yankees’ undisputed leader, could not hide his frustration after the game. “It was tough. First time we’ve seen him, he was making his pitches. We started reacting late, but it was a little late,” Judge said. Judge reflected the feeling of a team that ran into an insurmountable wall in Yesavage. The young pitcher not only took the victory, but also inscribed himself in the MLB history books
With 10 strikeouts in just four innings, he equaled a postseason record that only Patrick Corbin had achieved in 2019. Yesavage’s performance was a masterclass in how to dominate a powerful lineup. The Yankees were reduced to mere spectators in the face of Yesavage’s magic. Every pitch seemed to have a predetermined destiny, and New York’s bats simply could not decipher the enigma.
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