Jays rally for win as they play out the string of a disappointing season

Trey Yesavage expected to start Saturday

Published Sep 25, 2026  •  Last updated 10 minutes ago  •  4 minute read

Kazuma Okamoto of the Toronto Blue Jays hits a RBI double against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on Sept. 25, 2026 in Toronto. Photo by Mark Blinch /Getty Images

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A meaningless series began playing out on Friday night about the way one would expect between two teams putting a bow on disappointing seasons.

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The Blue Jays got up early, and then, as they have done too many times this year, left a ton of baserunners on while the visiting Cincinnati Reds started dialing in Jays starter Jose Soriano.

But it being Fan Appreciation weekend at Rogers Centre that narrative just wasn’t going to do for the home side, which eventually rallied in the seventh inning for four runs of their own and brought that home in a 6-5 win.

Things certainly didn’t start all that well for a club looking to thank yet another sellout crowd after their playoff hopes expired earlier in the week in Baltimore.

Two runs on three doubles in the first inning did put the Jays in charge, but Toronto starter Jose Soriano quickly lit a match to that lead.

Soriano, who started out so strong for the Jays after coming over from the L.A. Angels at the trade deadline, continued what has been a steady decline these past three starts.

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He gave one run back in the second inning, and then four more in the third inning, ending his night after just those three innings with his team down by three runs.

Soriano allowed eight hits and five earned runs in what was easily his worst start as a Blue Jay.

The big hit of the night for the Jays was a bases-loaded double by Kazuma Okamoto that keyed that four-run seventh inning.

It was one of two doubles and part of a three-RBI evening for the Jays’ slugging third baseman.

All eyes early on though were on Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who stepped in it earlier this week with some comments on a Spanish-language podcast.

Guerrero doubled down on those comments when he was confronted by reporters in Baltimore on Wednesday, but by Friday he was asking forgiveness from both the fans and teammates alike for what came across as selfish comments on that podcast.

Guerrero heard both cheers and boos on the night but an 0-for-3 on the evening predictably saw the boos gain strength throughout the game.

That changed somewhat in the seventh when Guerrero came to the plate with two on and none out and the Jays trailing by three.

With a Vladdy chant starting up down the left field line, the Jays first baseman singled through the hole on the right side of the infield for a run-scoring single. Any semblance of unhappiness with the Jays struggling first baseman ended at that point.

On Saturday, the Jays will try to make it two wins in a row and build on this potentially pleasant ending to an otherwise difficult and injury-filled 2026.

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ALL HANDS ON DECK

Even with the playoffs out of reach, the Jays fielded a team almost exclusively made up of its regular starters in the third to last game of the year.

Brett Batman was on the bench again nursing some right hip discomfort. The major return in the Kevin Gausman trade at the deadline is expected to be back in the lineup Saturday. He did get into the game in the seventh inning, pinch-hitting for Davis Schneider.

Also still out is shortstop Andres Gimenez who was dealing with some hamstring soreness in Texas and Baltimore. Ernie Clement, who has been handling short, remained there with Charles McAdoo handling second base. Gimenez also got into the game in the seventh inning as a pinch-hitter.

THE WEEKEND AHEAD

Trey Yesavage will get some work in Saturday as he gets the start in Game 2 of the series, but it’s unlikely he will be around long as he has not yet been stretched out following a stint on the injured list.

Sunday’s game is tentatively going to be Max Scherzer on short rest, but manage John Schnieder said the team will wait until Sunday to make that decision and see how Scherzer is feeling at that point.

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Scherzer, a definite future member of the Hall of Fame, enters the weekend four strikeouts behind Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers, who sits in eighth place on the career strikeout list. Verlander is schedule to pitch for the Tigers on Saturday, but is coming off a long stay on the injured list so isn’t expected to stay in the game for long.

It’s no secret how much competitive drive both pitches possess. How far will each be willing to extend themselves to move into or maintain that eighth spot?

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