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
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).