“Have More Than a Puncher’s Chance,” Derek Jeter Backs NY Yankees of Making Comeback in ALDS Despite Going 2-0 Down

Derek Jeter has backed his former team, the New York Yankees, to make a comeback in the ALDS against the Toronto Blue Jays despite two heavy losses.

“Have More Than a Puncher’s Chance,” Derek Jeter Backs NY Yankees of Making Comeback in ALDS Despite Going 2-0 Down

Derek Jeter (Image via BroBible)

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The New York Yankees have found themselves in trouble. Following a 13-7 loss on Sunday, the Bronx Bombers are 2-0 down in the best-of-five American League Division Series (ALDS) against the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite this, Derek Jeter has backed the Yankees to make an epic comeback in this playoff series.

After the two teams finished with the same record, the Blue Jays went on to win the division title and get a first-round bye as they held the tiebreaker over the Yankees. This saw the New York-based side take part in the best-of-three Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox.

Following a loss in Game 1, the Yankees bounced back in Game 2. A dominating pitching performance from Cam Schlitter in Game 3 saw them shut out the Red Sox and win 4-0 to advance to the ALDS and take on the Blue Jays.

In the first game of the ALDS in Rogers Park in Toronto, the hosts dominated their opposition. They scored 4 runs in both the 7th and the 8th innings to emerge as 10-1 winners.

On Sunday, the offense exploded again. They would jump early on pitcher Max Fried and take a 5-0 lead against him. After he left the game, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. crushed a grand slam off Will Warren to put his team 9-0 up.

Further home runs from Daulton Varsho (two from him) and one from George Springer saw the team record history. The 5 home runs were the most they had hit in any postseason game in their history.

The positive thing for the Yankees was that their offense did produce some runs. After a two-run bomb from Cody Bellinger made it a 12-2 game, the Yankees reduced a 13-2 deficit to 13-7. In the end, the Blue Jays were the superior side and took a commanding 2-0 series lead.

After the game, Derek Jeter, alongside Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, and Matt Vasgersian, would discuss the chances of the Yankees in the series. While Ortiz kept on trolling his former rivals and claimed that it was over, Vasgersian claimed that the Yankees still had a puncher’s chance with Carlos Rodon starting Game 3.

In this, Jeter would back his team and claimed that they had more than a puncher’s chance at the moment. He did however, express that his ex-team had not played well in the first two games.

They have more than a puncher’s chance. The New York Yankees have a great team. They are not playing well right now.

Derek Jeter said on MLB on Fox

The former Yankees captain later went on to speak about the Blue Jays. He claimed that they had been playing like they did all year and made contact with the ball. As per him, this is the reason they did not have slumps like the Yankees did this year.

Derek Jeter claimed that other Yankees players had to step up and not rely just on Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge has been the hero for the New York Yankees on several occasions. In Game 1 however, he would end up striking out with the bases loaded, which led to severe criticism against him. Derek Jeter would later back him and claimed that the other players also needed to step up.

Derek Jeter and Aaron Judge
Derek Jeter and Aaron Judge (Image via Imago)

On a 3-2 full count with bases loaded and nobody out in the fifth inning in Game 1, Judge would strike out swinging. The Yankees captain, who recently scripted MLB history by crossing the 50 home run mark for the 4th time in his career, would squander a golden opportunity to put the Yankees in front.

Cody Bellinger would then take a ball four and earn a walk, which cashed in a run for the Yankees. After Ben Rice popped out for a flyout against Kevin Gausman, relief pitcher Louis Varland struck out Giancarlo Stanton to end the innings.

After the game, Derek Jeter and his crew looked back at the moment and expressed that the whole Yankees team needs to step up and stop relying on Judge to win matches and championships.

The entire team needs to step up. You cannot sit here and rely on just one individual to win a playoff series and get you to the World Series and win a championship. You need contributions from everyone.

Derek Jeter said

The Yankees’ 2025 season is once again on the line. They will need to win Game 3 on Tuesday to enforce Game 4 and remain alive. A victory for the Blue Jays would see them advance to their first American League Championship Series (ALCS) since 2016.

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