Alejandro Kirk stars in return as Blue Jays down Yankees

Alejandro Kirk had three hits, a walk and two RBIs Friday night on his return from a fractured thumb as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting New York Yankees 8-5.

Kazuma Okamoto and George Springer each hit a two-run homer for Toronto in the opener of a three-game series.

Cody Bellinger hit a two-run blast for the Yankees.

Toronto took a 3-0 lead against Ryan Weathers (2-5) in the first. Ernie Clement trickled an infield hit to third with one out. After a wild pitch, Kirk stroked an RBI double to left-center. Okamoto yanked a 2-2 slider down the left field line for a homer that reached the 500 level.

The Yankees loaded the bases with a single and two walks with one out in the second against Trey Yesavage (3-3), who worked out of the inning with a strikeout and a popout.

Weathers hit Andres Gimenez with a pitch with two outs in the home second, and Springer homered to left on a 2-2 changeup.

The Yankees scored three times in the fifth. J.C. Escarra led off with a double to left-center, then took third on a groundout. Ben Rice walked before Paul Goldschmidt's sacrifice fly to the warning track in right drove in Escarra. Bellinger homered off the railing in right on a first-pitch splitter.

Toronto scored twice in the home fifth. Springer walked and took second on a groundout. Jake Bird replaced Weathers and allowed Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s RBI double to left and Kirk's RBI single to right.

Weathers gave up six runs, five hits and one walk while striking out two in 4 1/3 innings.

New York's Spencer Jones led off the sixth with a walk. Jose Caballero doubled, and Yesavage was replaced by Mason Fluharty, who got two outs before Trent Grisham hit a two-run single to center. Grisham slid into second as he advanced on the throw home, and he left the game due to right hamstring tightness. Max Schuemann ran for him.

Yesavage allowed five runs, four hits and six walks while striking out three in five-plus innings.

Toronto's Braydon Fisher worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.

The Blue Jays scored in the eighth against Fernando Cruz when Springer drew a two-out walk and Clement blooped an RBI double to right.

Louis Varland pitched a perfect ninth for his 12th save.

With Kirk returning, Tyler Heineman was designated for assignment.

--Field Level Media

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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 10:48 PM.