Kazuma Okamoto of the Toronto Blue Jays hit his 22nd home run, matching Shohei Ohtani’s record for the most home runs by a Japanese-born rookie in a single Major League Baseball season. This significant achievement occurred during the Blue Jays’ 5-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday night.
Okamoto’s tiebreaking, three-run shot in the fifth inning propelled the Blue Jays to the win, snapping their three-game losing streak. The home run came off a 95-m.p.h. sinker from reliever Jhony Brito, landing in the left-field seats. The ball travelled 377 feet to left-centre at a speed of 107.6 mph.
Okamoto’s Record-Tying Performance
The record Okamoto tied was set by Ohtani in 2018 when he played for the Los Angeles Angels. Okamoto expressed his admiration for Ohtani, stating through translator Yusuke Oshima, “Obviously, you guys all know Shohei is an awesome player, he’s the unicorn. Being able to match that record, yeah, it’s awesome, but I just want to do my best so that I can get closer to his level kind of thing.”
Blue Jays manager John Schneider praised Okamoto’s power and adaptability. “He’s got power, man,” Schneider commented. “I mean, he didn’t even get that. He just continues to be really impressive and just adjusting pitch to pitch, game to game. I’m running out of things to say. He ties the Japanese rookie record with 22 and is in some pretty elite territory there with Shohei.”
Okamoto’s 22 home runs before the All-Star break mark the most by a Blue Jays player since Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s 28 and Marcus Semien’s 22 in 2021. This also sets a new franchise record for the most home runs by a Toronto rookie.
Earlier in the week, Okamoto hit his first career grand slam on Wednesday in San Francisco. During Friday’s game, he struck out in his first two at-bats but then fouled off three consecutive pitches during a seven-pitch at-bat before hitting the decisive home run.
Game Details and Pitching Performances
The Blue Jays’ victory also ended the Padres’ hopes of a win, contributing to their 11th loss in 14 games. The scoring began for the Padres with Xander Bogaerts’ two-run shot in the first inning, his ninth home run, which broke a streak of 128 plate appearances without a homer.
Blue Jays pitcher Shane Bieber made his fourth start of the season, allowing two runs and six hits over 4 2/3 innings. Bieber’s season debut was delayed until June 23 due to forearm fatigue. After a challenging first inning where he gave up a walk, Bogaerts’ home run, another walk, and a single, Bieber settled down, though he was removed after a two-out single in the fourth.
Mason Fluharty (4-0) earned the win for the Blue Jays, getting the final out of the fourth inning. Louis Varland secured his 19th save of the season, despite allowing a run on three hits in the ninth inning. Varland threw 26 pitches to close out the game, getting Bogaerts to ground out with the tying run on base.
The Blue Jays’ offence collected nine hits and three walks. Myles Straw initiated the fifth-inning rally with a bunt single, followed by a single from Ernie Clement. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. then hit an RBI single, setting the stage for Okamoto’s three-run homer. Clement and Straw each contributed two hits to the Blue Jays’ effort.
Upcoming Matchup
Looking ahead, the Blue Jays are scheduled to play the Padres again on Saturday night. The pitching matchup is slated to feature Blue Jays right-hander Trey Yesavage (4-4, 3.31 ERA) against Padres right-hander Walker Buehler (5-5, 5.07).
In other baseball news, Canadian Tristan Peters achieved a cycle for the White Sox, becoming only the second Canadian player ever to do so. This feat was accomplished while he was mic’d up during the game.
The Blue Jays’ win was a team effort, with Okamoto (0.24 WPA), Kirk (0.15), and Clement (0.10) recognized as the “Jays of the Day.”
The next game for the Blue Jays is scheduled for 8:40 Eastern on Saturday.
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Source: tsn.ca
