Tigers come back late, Jays still out of wild card

Jays pitcher Soriano threw 5 1/3 perfect innings, Okamoto hits three-run shot

Published Sep 14, 2026  •  2 minute read

Blue Jays' Kazuma Okamoto hits a 3-run home run in the seventh inning during a game against the Detroit Tigers at Rogers Centre on Monday. Photo by Getty Images

Jose Soriano went from perfect game watch to no-hit watch to one terrible inning that undid all that preceded it.

Article content

And then with one swing of the bat Kazuma Okamoto made everything all right again … at least temporarily.

Article content

Article content

On a roller-coaster evening in front of 42,867 it would still take a Detroit Tigers run in the eighth to tie it and then another in the ninth on a Louis Varland error covering first base before the Tigers took over for good in a 6-5 Toronto loss.

The Jays remain a game out of the third and final wild card thanks to the Cleveland Guardians loss agianst the Chicago White Sox.

For 51/3 innings Soriano was perfect. Sixteen up and 16 down. The first blip was a one-out walk in the sixth to Zach McKinstry.

Soriano stranded him and moved onto the seventh with the no-no still intact. It didn’t last long.

The no-hitter went away when Gleyber Torres singled to centre. Riley Greene followed with a single of his own.

Then Dillon Dingler drove in the first Tigers run of the night with a third consecutive single.

Brett Callahan flied out to left before Max Clark brought in two more runs with a double and what had been a 2-run Jays lead to start the inning was now a 3-2 deficit.

Article content

Soriano would give up one more hit, another run-scoring double to Spencer Torkelson before he was relieved with the Jays down by two runs.

Okamoto’s home run, his 33rd of the year was, as most Okamoto homers are, gone the moment it left the bat.

Tigers closer Kenley Jansen gave up a lead-off walk in the ninth to George Springer but then got Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Looking at strike three before ending the game on a sharply hit ground ball to short for a game-ending double play.

Varland, who was asked to handle the final five outs with Tyler Rogers unavailable, was tagged with his fifth loss.

The two teams go at it again tonight with the Jays once again relying on their bullpen to get them through a start.

MOVING CHESS PIECES

The Blue Jays made a few changes to their roster before last night’s opener with the Tigers.

Optioned back to triple-A Buffalo was starter-turned reliever Ricky Tiedemann. Tiedemann is still navigating the move from starter to reliever and is not giving the Jays the kind of availability they need from their bullpen on a day to day basis.

Manager John Schneider said the bullpen days played into the decision a little bit but believes Tiedeman would be a likely candidate to return to the club should they make the post-season.

Returning to fill out the bullpen was left-hander Brendan Cellucci.

Article content