​SAN DIEGO (AP) — Kazuma Okamoto tied Shohei Ohtani for the most home runs by a Japanese-born rookie in a single major league season with his 22nd round-tripper, helping the Toronto Blue Jays edge the San Diego Padres 5-3 on Friday night. Okamoto delivered the decisive blow, a three-run shot to left field off a 95-mph sinker from reliever Jhony Brito with one out in the fifth inning to put Toronto ahead for good.
Ohtani’s 22 in 2018 came when he was with the Los Angeles Angels, making Okamoto’s feat even more notable in the modern era. Ohtani, now in his third season with the Dodgers, hit his 300th career homer Tuesday against Michael Lorenzen of Colorado, becoming the first Japanese-born player in the majors to reach that milestone.
Okamoto, 30, had just his first career grand slam on Wednesday in San Francisco. His 22 homers before the All-Star break stand as the most by any Blue Jays player since Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit 28 and Marcus Semien 22 in 2021, and they’re the most by any Toronto rookie in franchise history. Toronto snapped a three-game skid with the win, while California’s Padres extended a stretch of 11 losses in 14 games.
Mason Fluharty (4-0) earned the victory for the Blue Jays, and Louis Varland recorded his 19th save by letting a run on three hits in the ninth inning. The Padres’ starter JP Sears (2-2) was chased after singles surrounding the first out of the fifth, with Guerrero’s RBI single sparking the rally that preceded Okamoto’s tiebreaking shot.
San Diego had opened the scoring with Xander Bogaerts belting a two-run homer in the first, his ninth of the season, ending a drought of 128 plate appearances without a long ball. Toronto’s Shane Bieber gave the Blue Jays a solid outing, allowing two runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings in his fourth start of the season; his comeback had been delayed by forearm fatigue, which kept him from debuting until June 23.
Looking ahead, Toronto’s lineup and pitching plans for the next game were set with RHP Trey Yesavage (4-4, 3.31 ERA) taking the mound for the Blue Jays and Padres RHP Walker Buehler (5-5, 5.07) scheduled to start Saturday night. The teams will continue their interleague matchup, hoping to sustain momentum as the season progresses.