A game that had been about a pair of bulls on the mound became about a kid and a machine.

On an afternoon when a couple of starting pitchers flexed their powers, Anthony Volpe’s youthful punch and a ninth-inning rally, punctuated by DJ LeMahieu’s game-winning single, made the difference in the Yankees’ 3-2 win over the Blue Jays in The Bronx.

The Yankees (13-8) knotted up the three-game series against the Blue Jays (12-9) before the rubber game Sunday.

Manager Aaron Boone’s club has yet to lose a series this season.

Volpe provided the jolt, and LeMahieu made it count in a back-and-forth final two innings.

Amid a scoreless game in which neither Gerrit Cole nor Alek Manoah blinked, Volpe was the first to strike in the bottom of the eighth.

Oswald Peraza hit a two-out single and Volpe followed by blasting a first-pitch, down-the-middle fastball from Toronto’s Yimi Garcia over the right-field wall for his second home run in the majors, the first two runs of the game and, shortly thereafter, his first curtain call.

At least it looked like his first curtain call: It was not quite a salute to the 43,223 on their feet and more Volpe joining the fans in applauding the team.

The 21-year-old, who grew up a Yankees fan and sat in the stands at their games, reached the top step of the dugout, showed his face and clapped right back at the crowd.

“Pretty crazy. I didn’t really know what was going on I guess,” said Volpe, who was as demonstrative while running the bases after the homer as he has been as a big leaguer, unleashing a fist-pump as he rounded first. “I didn’t really know where to go.”

Bench coach Carlos Mendoza and Boone both encouraged him to oblige the fans.

“It was awesome. It was one of those, you know, goosebumps,” the manager said of Volpe, who has reached base safely in each of his past 10 games. “It had that pretty electric environment for an April game.”

In the top of the ninth, however, the electricity went out.

Wandy Peralta came in to close the game for the Yankees and walked Alejandro Kirk before surrendering a tying home run to pinch-hitter Danny Jansen, his first of the season.

The Stadium went quiet.

After Jimmy Cordero came on and escaped the top of the ninth, the middle of the Yankees’ lineup went to work.

Facing Toronto closer Jordan Romano, Anthony Rizzo doubled off the left-field wall; he was replaced by pinch-runner Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

That became important when Gleyber Torres knocked an infield single to the left side, and Kiner-Falefa took third base because no one was covering the bag.

Willie Calhoun worked a walk, in part due to a clock violation on Romano, and Boone replaced Franchy Cordero with the best pinch-hitter he could ask for.

LeMahieu, who was given the afternoon to rest, entered with the bases loaded and none out.

“The Machine” stared at a five-man Blue Jays infield, told himself to try to put the ball in the air and failed. Instead, he blasted a 103.9-mph rocket past a crowded, drawn-in Blue Jays infield to score Kiner-Falefa.

“Really good off day for him,” Boone said with a smile of LeMahieu.

“It’s definitely not my comfort zone,” LeMahieu said of pinch-hitting. “But when I saw that inning happening, I was ready.”

Nearly forgotten by the end was a pitching showdown that lived up to the hype.

Manoah and Cole went back and forth, and if fireworks were expected, zeroes were delivered.

They did it in different ways: Manoah was more economical and predominantly induced ground balls.

Cole got into more trouble, but danced his way out, predominantly with fly outs.

Both aces, however, were brilliant.

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Cole lasted 5 ²/₃ excellent, scoreless innings, while Manoah cruised through seven shutout innings, allowing just a pair of hits and a walk while striking out eight.

“Oof, it’s tough, tough. Those guys are tough, man,” Cole said of the Toronto offense, which came up with four hits against him, but no runs. “They fought, and they grind. They don’t give us a pitch up. They’re shifty.

“And obviously, Alek was on his game today.”

As were Cole, LeMahieu and Volpe.

What started as the Cole-Manoah game will be better remembered as the Volpe game.

“Stud. Stud,” Cole repeated about Volpe. “He’s a winning player. He’s a great complement to the clubhouse. He’s a great defensive player, and obviously put a great swing on a good pitch today and gave us a jolt that we needed.”