Springer blasts help homer-happy Blue Jays rout Reds 10-3
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.
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.
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