The Blue Jays had a 3-0 lead in the Bronx, but Giancarlo Stanton tied it with a three-run shot off Jimmy Garcia. Stanton sat on a changeup and sent it just inside the short porch. The next batter, Josh Donaldson, got hit on the arm, sparking tension. The Yankees dugout got heated. Aaron Judge started barking, the umps huddled, and things escalated fast. Garcia was ejected, along with Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo and pitching coach Pete Walker. The umps claimed the hit-by-pitch was retaliation due to earlier chatter between Donaldson and Toronto catcher Tyler Heineman, but even Donaldson brushed that off, saying he didn’t know the guy’s name.
Later in the seventh, Bo Bichette had to duck a high inside pitch from Johnny Loáisiga. The Yankees weren’t ejected, but Toronto’s bench got warnings. Montoyo came out again, laughing in disbelief, only to be tossed once more. The Blue Jays were frustrated by the inconsistency, especially after their own guys had already been thrown out.
It all set up a tight finish. Bottom nine, tie game, Judge at the plate. The pitcher had been walking hitters, visiting the mound, and mixing sliders. They tried to outfox Judge with a fastball after three straight sliders, but he fouled it off. The battle continued pitch by pitch, with Judge locked in and the crowd hanging on each throw.