TORONTO — With all eyes currently on the young Toronto Blue Jays auditioning for 2025 roster spots, shortstop Leo Jimenez has moved to the forefront recently.
His two-run blast in the fifth inning was part of a five-homer 10-3 win for the Blue Jays (59-67) against the Cincinnati Reds (61-65) before 34,662 at Rogers Centre on Tuesday.
George Springer slammed two homers. Alejandro Kirk and Spencer Horwitz also rounded the bases to give the home team their first five-longball game since they turned the trick a year ago in Cincinnati.
"I've been working on my whole game," the 23-year-old Jimenez said. "But I've been focusing more on the hitting part."
Jimenez admitted his frustration with balls and strikes not being called the way he saw the pitches was getting to him. As a result, he expanded his hitting zone.
This had him chasing bad pitches. Now he's reduced his hitting zone, and the offence has returned to his game.
He missed Monday's outing with a sore right knee. But in his last 11 games, he's hit .281 (nine for 32) with five doubles, three home runs and six RBIs.
"They show up, they work, and they're getting results," Toronto starter Jose Berrios (12-9) said of his young teammates like Jimenez.
Berrios tossed 96 pitches and struck out seven in seven innings of work, giving up two runs on six hits with two walks.
The Blue Jays feasted on 26-year-old starter Carson Spiers, who was making his 12th career start for the Reds. He gave up five homers and nine earned runs on 13 hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.
Springer smacked a two-run homer to left in the second inning and added his 16th with a solo shot in the fifth.
Kirk and Horwitz belted back-to-back solo homers with two out in the third inning. Jimenez hit his two-run blast before Springer's second dinger.
Addison Barger almost smacked a sixth homer. His line drive off the right-field wall knocked in a run but missed by a foot from being a round-tripper.
"It's great and you kind of have a little fun," Toronto manager John Schneider said. "It gets a little contagious. But George's first one, obviously, really kind of turned the game a little bit there. And Leo, Spence, Kirky, all good swings."
Schneider was hopeful the power surge was a sign the youngsters could chip in down the stretch.
"That'd be great," Schneider said. "A guy like Spence and Leo kind of tapping into some power a little bit.
"Leo, especially, hits the ball hard. You’ve seen that in the last handful of games."
The Blue Jays snatched a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Daulton Varsho tripled when Reds centre-fielder TJ Friedl fell as he neared the outfield wall. Varsho then scored on rookie Will Wagner's single to right.
Toronto increased its advantage to 7-1 in the fourth inning. Varsho was hit by a pitch. He advanced to third on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s second single of the game to centre and scored on an error by third baseman Noelvi Marte.
Back-to-back two-out walks came back to bite Berrios in the second inning. Marte singled to left to score a run.
Reds speedy infielder Elly De La Cruz tripled to left centre to begin the sixth inning and scored on a ground out.
Cincinnati scored one more in the eighth off reliever Zach Pop.
Former Blue Jays catcher Luke Maile took the mound for the Reds and threw a perfect seventh and eighth, employing primarily a 65-mile-per-hour slider and mixing in a knuckleball to get all six batters he faced.
ON DECK
Yariel Rodriguez (1-5) will start for the Blue Jays in the rubber-match finale against the Reds on Wednesday. Cincinnati will counter with righty Nick Martinez (6-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2024.
Tim Wharnsby, The Canadian Press