Blue Jays Notes: Clement on Heater and Okamoto’s Skid Starting to Turn Around
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The Toronto Blue Jays have experienced a roller coaster this Memorial Day weekend, which was filled with the high of a series victory secured against the Pittsburgh Pirates, followed by a drop off of emotions when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Dylan Cease went down with injuries.
The Jays went from within spitting distance of the .500 line to quickly four games under .500 going into Game 2 against the Miami Marlins. While a two-game losing streak might not seem like a lot, it is for a ballclub that is doing everything it can to keep its head above water while guys get healthy.
So, after losing Cease to IL and Vlad being unable to go thus far in the Marlins series, taking an 8-1 win at Rogers Centre to improve to 26-29 on the year, which feels like a moment that could be a turning point for the team.
Clement Hot and Positive Signs of Life From Okamoto
This is a team game on all accounts, but if there is one player to point at riding a hot streak with his bat, it is utility man Ernie Clement. Clement got the scoring going on Tuesday with his second homer in the same number of days.
Clement is on a nine-game hit streak and in that time has logged three homers, four doubles, and eight RBI, in which the Blue Jays are 5-4.
Okamoto, on the other hand, was experiencing a hitless streak that is painful to look at, as Okamoto went 0-for-16 until finally making contact in the final game against the Pirates. Now, he hasn't hit a homer yet, but seeing his first RBI in nearly two weeks Tuesday night had to feel good for him.
ERNIE CLEMENT GETS THE JAYS ON THE BOARD 🐶 pic.twitter.com/gkiGGrbsWQ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 26, 2026
After going four games without a hit, Okamoto has now seen the ball drop in three consecutive games, a feat he hadn't seen since the Jays' last homestand.
A Home Run Party Tuesday Night
The Blue Jays have been begging for some power this season, and they sure got it in their Game 2 victory over Miami to snap their winning streak as Clement got things going in the second, but a pair of outfielders would keep the merriment going.
If anybody was looking for redemption Tuesday night, it was Yohendrick Pinango, who had a few defensive blunders the night before. He needed a big swing, and he took advantage of the sinker that Sandy Alcantara left right above the plate.
The Jays were 7-for-37 this year with the bases loaded until Sanchez's at-bat in the bottom of the sixth as he stepped up to the plate looking for a fastball, and he got it on the first pitch. The first-ever grand slam of his career would put the game out of reach for the Marlins. 8-for-38.
Now, Toronto is looking to finish the series off with its veteran ace, Kevan Gausman, on the hill.
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Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.