Andres Gimenez with a solo home run to get the scoring started in the 2nd! 🎥 Sportsnet | #Bluejays
Instant Reaction: Blue Jays survive late Phillies rally in 5-4 victory
Photo credit: © Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Aug 8, 2026, 08:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 8, 2026, 12:58 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays are starting to look like themselves lately.
On Friday, they began a three-game weekend series against the Philadelphia Phillies, beating the National League East team 5-4 to move to 55-62. Let’s take a look at what went on in this one!
Neither team pushed a run across in the first inning, but the Blue Jays opened the scoring in the top of the second. With one out, Andrés Giménez ambushed a first-pitch fastball thrown by Zack Wheeler, getting it just over the wall to put the Jays up 1-0. The Phillies responded in the bottom half of the inning, as a Jesús Sánchez error brought in the game-tying run.
Acquired in the Kevin Gausman trade and called up before Friday’s game, Brett Bateman received his first big league plate appearance in the top of the third. On the first pitch he saw, he nearly took Wheeler deep, instead settling for a double. A groundout moved him to third, then Alejandro Kirk hit a sacrifice fly to put the Jays back on top. But again, the Phillies had a response, sending the team tied at two into the fourth.
Brett Bateman rips his first MLB hit of the left field wall! 🎥 Sportsnet | #Bluejays
With two outs in the fourth, David Popkins was thrown out for arguing that Wheeler wasn’t actually on the pitching rubber. Wheeler barked back at the Jays’ dugout, but it was clear he was thinking about it for the remainder of the game.
Blue Jays hitting coach David Popkins was ejected for arguing that Zack Wheeler's foot was coming off the rubber.
That ejection came during a 1-0 count to Josh Smith, and three pitches later, Smith hit a middle-middle cutter into the outfield for a single. Wheeler walked Bateman, bringing up Nathan Lukes. The outfielder hit a single, and the Jays restored the lead.
An RBI single from Nathan Lukes makes it 3-2 Blue Jays! 🎥 Sportsnet | #Bluejays
They never relinquished it, though the Phillies threatened. In the bottom of the fifth, José Soriano issued a lead off walk, then gave up a double to Justin Crawford to put two on. Soriano struck out the next two batters he saw, then Mason Fluharty struck out another one to end the inning.
A huge strikeout from Fluharty to keep it a 1-run game! 🎥 Sportsnet | #Bluejays
In the top of the sixth, Smith hit another single, and Bateman earned another walk against Wheeler, bringing up Lukes. While nearly the exact same scenario played out, the only difference was that Lukes failed to drive in a run. He also saw 15 pitches in this at-bat before hitting a single. A run was scored thanks to Kirk’s second sacrifice fly of the game.
Smith tests Harper and makes it 4-2! 🎥 Sportsnet | #Bluejays
The Jays scored a much-needed insurance run in the top of the eighth, as Smith hit a solo home run, his first as a Blue Jay and his second of the season, giving them a 5-2 lead. It turned out to be a much-needed insurance run, as the Phillies scored twice in the bottom of the ninth. Thankfully, a throw to first just beat the runner, ending the game.
Josh Smith with his first Blue Jays home run to make it 5-2! 🎥 Sportsnet | #Bluejays
Takeaways…
The Blue Jays’ hopes to make the playoffs still aren’t extinguished. Over their last 15, they are 9-6, and 7-4 over their last 11. They didn’t gain a game on the Texas Rangers, so they are still three and a half behind the final wild card. However, they gained a game on the Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers, and Baltimore Orioles, sitting a game or a game and a half behind all three teams.
As for the game itself, there were a couple of first. José Soriano made his first start as a Blue Jay, going five and two-thirds innings, giving up two runs (one earned), while walking and striking out three.
Lázaro Estrada picked up his first big league victory, going one and one-third innings while striking out a batter and walking two. Matt Waldron made his Blue Jays’ debut, striking out a batter in a clean inning of work, picking up the hold. Brendon Little also picked up a hold, while Tyler Rogers picked up his fourth save.
Josh Smith, on his birthday, had a three-hit game, going deep for his first home run as a Blue Jay. Brett Bateman made his big league debut, notching his first career-hit and reaching base three times.
Other standouts from this game were Nathan Lukes, Alejandro Kirk, Jesús Sánchez, and Andrés Giménez. Lukes had a two-hit game, including a single on the 15th pitch of the at-bat. Kirk didn’t get a hit, but he drove in two with two sacrifice flies. Sánchez went 1-1 and walked twice, making Zack Wheeler work. He also committed an error that led to a run.
Giménez hit his eighth home run of the season on the first pitch he saw against Wheeler. He has a tendency to hit home runs against good pitchers, taking Max Fried deep last season on Canada Day, and taking Jacob Misiorowski deep earlier this season.
At this point, the Blue Jays just got to keep winning. They’ll have a chance to win their fourth consecutive series on Saturday evening, a game that has a start time of 6:05 PM ET. Max Scherzer is set to get the ball against Aaron Nola.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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