Lukes with a diving catch to keep it 3-0! 🎥 Sportsnet | #Bluejays
Instant Reaction: Kazuma Okamoto’s late home run powers Blue Jays’ comeback win over Cubs
Photo credit: © Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
Jun 20, 2026, 18:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 20, 2026, 18:35 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays were needed to find a win in the second game against the Chicago Cubs.
After a pathetic showing Friday afternoon in Chicago, losing 16-2, the Blue Jays needed a win Saturday to even up the series. With a series sweep over the Boston Red Sox, the Blue Jays got to within a game of .500, and winning the series against the Cubs would’ve gotten them back to .500 before beginning a 10-game homestand.
They got one step closer to that elusive .500 record, defeating the Cubs 8-6 in comeback fashion on Saturday. Let’s break down what happened in this game!
Patrick Corbin was on the mound for the Blue Jays, coming off two straight starts where he could not make it through four innings. The team needed as much length as possible out of the southpaw, given how taxed the bullpen has been in recent days. Max Scherzer went on the injured list during the Red Sox series, and Kevin Gausman had a terrible outing on Friday, going just two innings, meaning more arms were used than anticipated.
Corbin was able to get through a scoreless first inning before allowing singles to Alex Bregman and Ian Happ, before Matt Shaw unloaded for a three-run home run, giving the Cubs an early 3-0 lead. Then in the fourth inning, Corbin loaded the bases, prompting an exit from the game after just 3.2 innings.
Recently reactivated Lázaro Estrada entered to clean up the mess. He induced a fly ball to right field off the bat of Seiya Suzuki that was caught on a dive by Nathan Lukes, keeping the Cubs at three runs.
It wasn’t until the sixth inning that the game had its next scoring again, with Pete Crow-Armstrong hitting a two-run home run, scoring Dansby Swanson and giving Chicago a 5-0 lead.
At the same time, Colin Rea was pitching a strong game for the Cubs, despite entering Saturday’s contest with a 5.35 ERA across 15 appearances this season. He was dominant through four innings, not giving up a single hit to the Blue Jays’ offence that looked absent for a second straight day. Finally, Brandon Valenzuela recorded a single in the top of the fifth, breaking up the no-no. But Rea finished with 5.1 innings pitched, striking out three and allowing no runs.
It wasn’t until the seventh inning that the Blue Jays got on the board, when former Blue Jays reliever Trent Thornton entered the game. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. immediately hit a single before Kazuma Okamoto was hit by a pitch, bringing up the recently activated Daulton Varsho. He unloaded on a high and inside fastball for a three-run home run, bringing the Jays to within two.
Varsho rips a home run to make it a two-run game! 🎥 Sportsnet | #Bluejays
Then, in the top of the eighth inning against Caleb Thielbar, Myles Straw led off the inning with a walk, followed by a George Springer single. That forced Cubs manager Craig Counsell to bring in Jacob Webb, with John Schneider countered by bringing in Alejandro Kirk as a pinch hitter for Nathan Lukes. Kirk hit a single to left field one 3-2 pitch bringing in the Jays’ fourth run of the game. Guerrero then recorded a single of his own, tying the game at five a piece.
After what was already a fantastic inning for Toronto, Kazuma Okamoto wanted more and demolished a fastball to left field for a three-run home run, giving the Jays an 8-5 lead they would not relinquish.
OKAMOTO FOR THE LEAD!!! 🎥 Sportsnet | #Bluejays
Following the Okamoto home run, Fluharty entered to begin the bottom of the eighth and couldn’t retire any of the three batters he faced. Louis Varland came in for the six-out save, allowing one of those runners to cross home, but that was the only damage he allowed. In the ninth, the only blemishes for Varland was an error and wild pitch, picking up his fifteenth save of the season and bringing the Blue Jays back to within one game of .500.
Dylan Cease will start the series finale on Sunday, with the Cubs countering with Shōta Imanaga. A Blue Jays win would get them back to .500 for the first time since May 29th, and first pitch flies at 2:20 pm EST in what looks to be an overcast day in Chicago.
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