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The Blue Jays hit five home runs, win 10-3 against the Reds on August 20 for the second straight season
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Photo credit: © John E. Sokolowski - USA Today
Ryley Delaney
Aug 20, 2024, 21:45 EDTUpdated: Aug 20, 2024, 22:01 EDT
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Baseball is a weird sport.
On August 20, 2023, the Toronto Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds played the third and final game of the series, with the Blue Jays defeating the National League Central team 10-3 thanks to five home runs off the Reds’ starter. Exactly a year later in 2024, the Blue Jays defeated the Reds 10-3, thanks to five home runs of the Reds’ starter.
The 2023 Blue Jays headed into that game with a 68-56 record, with Kevin Kiermaier hitting his sixth-home run in the top of the second. Later that inning, Brandon Belt hit his 12th home run. The Jays’ big inning came in the top of the fourth though, as Bo Bichette, Belt, and George Springer hit home runs making it 9-2.
Hyun-Jin Ryu returned from Tommy John surgery earlier that month, and pitched five strong innings, giving up no earned runs and striking out seven. Génesis Cabrera pitched an inning, while Bowden Francis pitched the final three innings for his first career save.
On Tuesday, the 2024 Blue Jays scored the first run with a non-home run ball just like the 2023 Blue Jays did, as Will Wagner hit a single. Deviating from the year prior, the Reds tied it in their next half inning, as Noelvi Marte hit a single to make it 1-1.
Toronto’s second run also came thanks to a hit that wasn’t a home run, as Addison Barger hit his eight double to make it 2-1. Just like last season, George Springer hit a home run, his 15th of the season. Coincidentally, his home run on August 20, 2023 was his 15th of the year as well.
Alejandro Kirk has been hitting the ball well lately, and in the bottom of the third, he hit his fourth home run of the season to make it 5-1 for the Jays. On the second pitch of the next at bat, Spencer Horwitz hit his seventh home run of the season with the Jays, matching his home run total from 2023, one home run behind his career-best.
Toronto scored another run in the bottom of the fourth thanks to an error, but they were back to the long-ball in the bottom of the fifth, as Leo Jiménez hit his third home run to make it 9-1 and expand on his career-high total, now at 10. Springer hit his second home run of the game two batters later to make it 10-1.
The Reds scored twice in the top of the eighth to prove that life is just a simulation, as Spencer Steer guaranteed this weird coincidence with a two-run single.

Diving into the stats…

José Berríos had a terrific start for the Blue Jays, finishing with a line of 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. Using Ryu’s start last season as a comparison, he also allowed two runs (albeit unearned) while striking out seven. Granted, Berríos pitched two more innings and walked an additional batter. Zach Pop and Tommy Nance pitched out of the bullpen, with Pop giving up an earned run and Nance pitching a clean inning.
The Blue Jays had 13 hits in total, with every starter getting a hit. George Springer had two home runs, Daulton Varsho hit a triple, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two singles, Will Wagner drove in a run thanks to a single, Alejandro Kirk hit a home run, as did Spencer Horwitz, while Joey Loperfido had a single and triple. Leo Jiménez hit a single and a home run, while Addison Barger hit a double.
The Blue Jays used two pinch hitters late in the game, Steward Berroa and Davis Schneider, neither of which had a hit.
Former Blue Jay catcher, Luke Maile, pitched two clean innings for the Reds. It’s not the first time he’s been the designated blowout pitcher, as he pitched an inning earlier this season and now has 10.1 innings pitched in the big leagues. In 2019 with the Jays, he pitched two innings.
The Blue Jays play the rubber match on Wednesday at 7:07 PM ET. Yariel Rodríguez is the expected starter for the Jays and will be opposed by Nick Martinez.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.

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