Eighth-inning rally provides support for Soriano's stellar home debut

TORONTO -- The Blue Jays have outlasted the Red Sox again, staring them in the eye and refusing to blink first.

Wednesday’s 6-4 win was another act of strategic stubbornness, sticking around until the Red Sox cracked. That crack came in the bottom of the eighth, when Willson Contreras dropped a simple pop fly in foul territory, and Kazuma Okamoto made him pay for it on the very next pitch. That’s when the Blue Jays finally kicked the door down.

“I was given another chance right there,” Okamoto said through interpreter Yusuke Oshima. “I was able to regroup. I wanted to at least move the runners over, so I was glad I got the big hit right there.”

Toronto has now taken the first three games of this series from the Red Sox, setting up a shot for the sweep tomorrow. The momentum is no longer quietly building, it’s here.

“Maybe the baseball gods are changing their minds about us after about 10 months,” manager John Schneider said.

This is what mattered most:

1. An eruption in the eighth

After Contreras dropped that Okamoto pop fly in foul territory, just behind home plate, the Japanese slugger ripped the next pitch he saw into left field to bring home the go-ahead run. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., diving for home plate on the dramatic slide, looked as energized as he has all season.

A bases-loaded walk from Ernie Clement and a sac fly RBI from pinch-hitter George Springer chipped away, but the big blow finally came from Myles Straw with a two-run double into the gap. Straw has been playing some great baseball lately, and this is exactly what this lineup needs, contributions all the way from one to nine.

Forget five runs in an inning, this team has spent much of 2026 grinding to score five runs in a game. That was the loudest we’ve heard Rogers Centre in a long time.

“There are some young guys bringing some energy and some guys who have some things to prove,” Schneider said. “That rubs off on everyone. It’s a good feeling right now.”

2. José Soriano shines in home debut

This is the version of Soriano the Blue Jays bet on when they sent the Angels a package headlined by No. 2 prospect Arjun Nimmala at the Trade Deadline. Dylan Cease is still the ace of the staff, which is how it’s going to be for years to come, but Soriano could be a legitimate No. 2 starter in a strong rotation, capable of winning games all on his own. Wednesday’s six innings of one-run ball were a glimpse of that.

“That was incredible,” Soriano said after his home debut. “It was incredible, those fans. I came here to do my best.”

Consider this to be "Phase 1" of the Blue Jays’ work with Soriano. You’ll see some surface-level adjustments that are easy to pull off on the fly, like an uptick in his sinker usage and a downtick in his four-seamer usage. The Blue Jays also believe that their catchers will offer Soriano significant help, and all of the data backs that up with Alejandro Kirk and Brandon Valenzuela grading out much stronger than the catchers Soriano worked with on the Angels.

“He’s got a really slow heartbeat,” Schneider said. “He was really good, in control and he’s already taken to what we’ve talked about, just trying to get his stuff in the zone. He did that.”

Next spring, Soriano and the Blue Jays can step back and work on some fine details or tinker with his delivery. For now, Soriano is just fine, and they’ll need him to pitch just like this if they have any hope of a Wild Card run in the American League.

3. Still seeking: Power

This isn’t the first time you’ve read this. The Blue Jays need to hit for more power, and until they do that, the margins will remain incredibly thin. That’s why, even with this recent stretch and some newfound momentum, every day feels like a stressful, one-run battle.

The Blue Jays make a ton of contact… but they hit a lot of singles.

“If you had nine guys who could run like [Brett] Bateman, it’s probably a really good thing,” Schneider said. "There probably needs to be a little bit more of a blend of extra-base hits there. That’s been a big difference. I don’t want to compare last year to this year, but it’s been a big difference where you can generate some offense quickly. Singles are great… when they’re coupled with some doubles or homers.”