Okamoto, Smith hit home runs to help Blue Jays down Athletics 4-2

By: The Associated Press Posted: 11:27 PM CDT Tuesday, Sep. 8, 2026 Last Modified: 12:14 AM CDT Wednesday, Sep. 9, 2026

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WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Kazuma Okamoto and Josh Smith hit home runs, José Soriano worked seven innings of two-run ball, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Athletics 4-2 on Tuesday night.

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WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Kazuma Okamoto and Josh Smith hit home runs, José Soriano worked seven innings of two-run ball, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Athletics 4-2 on Tuesday night.

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WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Kazuma Okamoto and Josh Smith hit home runs, José Soriano worked seven innings of two-run ball, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Athletics 4-2 on Tuesday night.

Toronto (73-73) sits one game back of the Cleveland Guardians (74-72) for the third and final American League wild-card spot. The Guardians beat the Baltimore Orioles 9-5 earlier in the day.

The Texas Rangers, who beat the Mariners 10-5 in Seattle on Tuesday, are a half-game behind the Blue Jays.

Toronto Blue Jays' Kazuma Okamoto hits a single during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall)

Smith, who was traded from the Texas Rangers on Aug. 3, opened the scoring in the second inning with a 360-foot shot to give Toronto a 1-0 lead. In his 20 games with the Blue Jays, he has five homers.

Okamoto followed in the next at-bat with the 30th home run of his rookie season. He joins Chicago White Sox rookie first baseman Munetaka Murakami as the only other Japanese-born player to accomplish the feat in his rookie campaign.

The milestone also marked the first time in major league history that three rookies have hit 30 or more home runs in the same season. Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart is the other.

Alejandro Kirk hit an RBI single, and Smith capped the scoring by grounding into a one-run double play.

Soriano (12-7), who was traded from the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 3 as well, struck out three and gave up six hits. Spencer Miles worked two hitless innings for his second save of the season.

Carlos Cortes and Donovan Walton each had home runs for the Athletics.