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Kazuma Okamoto hit two doubles and drove in three runs as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-5 on Friday night at Rogers Centre, snapping a three-game losing streak.
Kazuma Okamoto hit two doubles and drove in three runs as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-5 on Friday night at Rogers Centre, snapping a three-game losing streak.
The win improved Toronto to 78-82 on the season. Cincinnati fell to 74-86. Alejandro Kirk and Okamoto each had an RBI double in the first inning, giving the Blue Jays an early 2-0 lead. Okamoto's double scored Kirk for the game's first run.
Reds Rally Behind Quick Offensive Surge
Cincinnati answered quickly. Eugenio Suarez hit a solo home run in the second inning. Elly De La Cruz added a two-run double in the third, Sal Stewart singled home another run and Hector Rodriguez's fielder's choice drove in a run as the Reds took a 5-2 lead. Blue Jays starter Jose Soriano struggled, allowing five runs on eight hits over three innings.
The Reds took full advantage of his poor outing in the first three innings. Once Toronto pulled Soriano, the bullpen shut the door. Brendan Cellucci, Chad Dallas, Mason Fluharty, Tyler Rogers and Louis Varland combined in relief as the Blue Jays held Cincinnati without another run. Toronto loaded the bases in both the second and third innings but failed to score.
Okamoto And Guerrero Lead Blue Jays Comeback
The Blue Jays had runners on all three bases again in the third when Okamoto banged a double off the wall in left-centre field to cash in two runs and tie the game 5-5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Okamoto and Nathan Lukes drove in runs with base hits in a four-run seventh inning to retake the lead. Okamoto now has 92 runs batted in during his rookie MLB season, the most on the Blue Jays.
The next closest is light-hitting shortstop Andres Gimenez with 58. Guerrero apologized to fans before the game for controversial comments he made about a $500M contract on a Spanish-language podcast on Wednesday. He drew a mixed response when he first came to bat and loud boos when he struck out twice. He turned the Blue Jays faithful around in the seventh when the sold-out Rogers Centre crowd chanted his name before his go-ahead RBI single.
Lodolo And Reds Bullpen Struggle To Respond
Nick Lodolo gave up seven hits and two walks over five innings for Cincinnati but limited the damage to just two runs. Relievers Luis Mey (0-2), Pierce Johnson and Graham Ashcraft followed him to the mound. Mey took the loss. The Reds came flying out of the gate in the first three innings, taking full advantage of a poor showing from Soriano.
Once Toronto pulled their starting pitcher, however, the Reds had a hard time getting contact. Trey Yesavage (5-5) will start for the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon in the second-last game of the season. Rhett Lowder (6-12) will go for Cincinnati. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2026. John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press.
CTVToronto 
CTVNews:Kazuma Okamoto powers Blue Jays past Reds 6-5 as Toronto snaps three-game skid 
CP24:Kazuma Okamoto powers Blue Jays past Reds 6-5 as Toronto snaps three-game skidThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Toronto Blue Jays Cincinnati Reds Kazuma Okamoto Vladimir Guerrero Jr. MLB
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