(Photo credit score: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images)
Kazuma Okamoto has been a right away hit in his first season in North America and has etched his title on a formidable checklist of Japanese sluggers.
Okamoto has 30 homers in his rookie season and can look to go deep for the third straight contest when the Toronto Blue Jays shut a three-game sequence towards the Athletics on Wednesday afternoon at West Sacramento, Calif.
Okamoto, 30, homered to left discipline within the second inning of Tuesday’s 4-2 triumph to turn into the fifth Japanese participant to hit 30 or extra homers in a season.
Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox additionally did it this season. The others are Shohei Ohtani (six instances), Hideki Matsui and Seiya Suzuki.
‘He’s swinging, man. That’s a fairly cool milestone,’ Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider advised reporters about Okamoto. ‘That’s a fairly good checklist he simply joined of Japanese gamers. But he is acquired that means. The man is swinging the bat effectively.’
Okamoto is also the primary Toronto rookie to hit 30 homers in a season.
‘Definitely, it is nice to get to 30 in my first yr, however we have nonetheless acquired just a few video games to go right here,’ Okamoto advised reporters by way of an interpreter. ‘I wish to flip the swap and give attention to the video games shifting ahead.’
Josh Smith hit a homer instantly earlier than Okamoto as Toronto (73-73) gained for the eighth time in 11 video games. The Blue Jays stay one recreation behind the Cleveland Guardians within the race for the third and last American League wild-card berth.
Carlos Cortes and Donovan Walton hit solo homers for the Athletics (58-88), who misplaced for simply the second time prior to now seven video games.
‘He’s been a strong a part of the lineup with constant at-bats,’ Athletics supervisor Mark Kotsay mentioned of Walton, who had two hits for the primary time since Aug. 19.
Athletics All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers (proper knee surgical procedure on July 28) is slated to start a rehab stint with Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday. He might be a part of the A’s on Tuesday for the beginning of a highway sequence towards the Tampa Bay Rays.
Langeliers, who has 23 homers in 93 video games, is just not anticipated to catch once more this season. He could be used as a chosen hitter and pinch hitter.
‘We wish to be sure that we do not put stress on the knee in order that he comes again right here and may bodily deal with a workload,’ Kotsay advised reporters. ‘… We’ll monitor that workload and ensure we do not overdo something with him.’
The A’s and Blue Jays will go together with a bullpen recreation Wednesday. Right-hander Braydon Fisher (3-4, 3.20 ERA) will open for Toronto, and left-hander Brady Basso (1-2, 4.32) would be the first pitcher for the Athletics.
Fisher, 26, will make his seventieth look of the season and can take the mound first for the ninth time. He hasn’t pitched greater than an inning since tossing two scoreless innings of reduction towards the Philadelphia Phillies on Aug. 9. Toronto misplaced 7-6 in 12 innings.
Fisher’s final look was Sunday towards the Kansas City Royals. He confronted two batters — putting out one and strolling one — in his crew’s 6-1 loss.
Fisher has a 9.64 ERA over 4 2/3 innings in 5 appearances (one begin) towards the Athletics. However, he has thrown 2 1/3 hitless innings in two outings towards the A’s this season.
Denzel Clarke homered when Fisher served as an opener towards the A’s on May 31, 2025. Fisher gave up 5 runs and 4 hits over 1 1/3 innings.
Wednesday will mark the fifth time Basso will open a recreation this season. He pitched three innings of shutout reduction to get the victory in a 7-6 win over the Seattle Mariners on Friday. He allowed three hits and one stroll.
Basso, 28, has by no means confronted the Blue Jays in 40 profession appearances over three seasons.
–Field Level Media