Blue Jays' Varland starting Game 4 after allowing Judge HR

The Toronto Blue Jays will start right-hander Louis Varland in Game 4 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.

Varland, a reliever, will presumably work as an opener. It's unknown who will follow him in a bulk role.

Varland took the loss Tuesday in Toronto's 9-6 defeat in Game 3, being charged with two runs on two hits over one inning of work. One of those hits was a gigantic game-tying three-run homer by Aaron Judge, who turned on Varland's 100-mph inside fastball and clanked it off the left-field foul pole. Judge will likely face Varland again in the first inning Wednesday.

The 27-year-old Varland has pitched in each of the first three games of this series, and owns a 6.75 ERA in 2 2/3 innings.

The Blue Jays had planned to go with a bullpen game in Game 4 after leaving starters Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt off the ALDS roster. However, they had to use six relievers in Game 3 as Shane Bieber failed to get out of the third inning. Manager John Schneider said postgame that "everyone is available tomorrow," according to Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith.

Game 4 of the ALDS starts at 7 p.m. at Yankee Stadium. A Blue Jays win will send the team to its first ALCS since 2016, while New York will be looking to force the series back to Rogers Centre for a winner-take-all Game 5.