Toronto Blue Jays' Kazuma Okamoto, of Japan, watches his home run off Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Steven Matz during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
By The Canadian Press

Okamoto sets Blue Jays rookie record with 25th homer as Toronto whips Rays 10-5

Aug 18, 2026 | 6:52 PM

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Kazuma Okamoto broke Toronto’s rookie home run record with his 25th, Josh Smith and Alejandro Kirk also homered, and the Blue Jays beat the AL-leading Tampa Bay Rays 10-5 on Tuesday night in the opener of their three-game series.

The surging Blue Jays have won 13 of their last 19 games.

Okamoto gave Toronto a 7-3 lead with his homer in the fifth, breaking Eric Hinske’s team record. Brett Bateman tacked on an RBI single before Smith launched a ball over the right-field wall, capping the scoring for the Blue Jays.

George Springer had an RBI single in the first, and Jesús Sánchez added a run-scoring double. Kirk extended the lead in the third with his homer to left-centre field. Kirk also drove in a run with a single in the fourth and Bateman scored another on a wild pitch by Rays starter Nick Martinez (12-4).

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José Soriano (10-6) allowed three runs and nine hits in five innings, striking out two.

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The Rays scored their first run on a wild pitch, and Taylor Walls brought Tampa Bay within three on a two-run single. Cedric Mullins and Richie Palacios hit sacrifice flies in the eighth.

Martinez gave up six runs on nine hits while fanning five in 3 2/3 innings. Through four batters, the Blue Jays matched their previous season high of one run in three games against Martinez.

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Blue Jays’ RHP Max Scherzer (1-5, 6.59 ERA) gets the start against Rays’ RHP Drew Rasmussen (12-5, 2.78 ERA) in Game 2 of the series on Wednesday.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

The Associated Press




by The Canadian Press

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