There was just no way the Yankees were going to be able to get back into this division series, just no way to begin to see the window through which they could fit a three-game winning streak, just no chance to form a belief system about possibility if Aaron Judge did not only hit, but hit for more meaning than ever in his postseason life.

So consider Tuesday night a brilliant first step:

The Aaron Judge Game.

“It was a best-player-in-the-game type of performance,” Aaron Boone said. “It was special when obviously, needless to say, our backs are against the wall and then some.”