Overview
- Okamoto hit his 30th MLB home run Tuesday, a 387-foot drive off Jack Perkins that helped Toronto beat Oakland 4-2 and broke a tie with a back-to-back homer by Josh Smith.
- The Blue Jays improved to 73-73 and sit one game out of the final American League wild-card position after José Soriano threw seven effective innings in the same game.
- Okamoto’s 30 homers put him alongside Munetaka Murakami and Sal Stewart to create the first season in MLB history with three rookies reaching 30 home runs.
- A 30-year-old classified as a rookie under service-time rules, Okamoto arrived from Japan after a long NPB career and leads Toronto with a .762 OPS and team-high 30 homers.
- Okamoto’s hot September and improved defense give Toronto a clearer lineup identity down the stretch and raise the stakes for how his continued production could decide the club’s playoff chances.