Bichette has 2 HRs and 6 RBIs, Blue Jays get 25 hits in 15-1 victory over Rockies

DENVER (AP) — Bo Bichette homered twice and drove in six runs, Ernie Clement had a career-best five of Toronto's season-high 25 hits and the Blue Jays beat the Colorado Rockies 15-1 on Monday night.

Eric Lauer (7-2) allowed a run in six innings, giving up seven hits with a walk and four strikeouts.

Clement capped the scoring with an RBI single in the ninth and finished with three runs scored. Bichette, Nathan Lukes and Joey Loperfido had three hits apiece and Daulton Varsho had four RBIs.

Lukes hit the first pitch of the game into center field for a double and scored when Bichette singled two pitches later. Clement singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch by Rockies starter Tanner Gordon (2-4) and scored when Davis Schneider singled to make it 2-0 in the second.

Toronto (66-48) is tied with Detroit for the best record in the American League.

Tyler Freeman doubled with two outs in the fifth and scored when Ezequiel Tovar singled.

Lukes singled to drive in Clement, Bichette hit a three-run shot and Varsho added an RBI single in the seventh to make it 14-1.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Addison Barger led off the third with back-to-back singles before Varsho hit a three-run homer. Ernie Clement tripled and scored when Loperfido singled before Davis Schneider hit a run-scoring double, Lukes walked and Bichette added a two-run home run that capped Toronto's seven-run inning and made it 9-0.

The Blue Jays also set season highs for at-bats (50), total bases (39), runs scored (15) and RBIs (15).

Toronto's José Berríos (7-4, 3.84 ERA) is set to take the mound Tuesday against Kyle Freeland (2-11, 5.26) in the second of a three-game set.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Nathan Lukes, right, pulls in a fly ball off the bat of Colorado Rockies' Thairo Estrada to end the fourth inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

As the setting sun colors the sky above Coors Field, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. heads back to his position in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Toronto Blue Jays' Bo Bichette heads up the first base line after hitting a three-run home run off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Carson Palmquist in the seventh inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Toronto Blue Jays' Myles Straw, right, puts on a jacket for Bo Bichette as he returns to the dugout after hitting a three-run home run off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Carson Palmquist in the seventh inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 4, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

KOHALA, Hawai‘i--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 15, 2026--

Kuleana Rum Works, the Hawai‘i-based distillery known for its additive-free, award-winning rums, today announced the release of “An Open Letter on Additive-Free Rum,” written by Founder & CEO Steve Jefferson, addressing why rum is now facing the same scrutiny and market shift that reshaped tequila a decade ago.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260107792953/en/

Consumers across spirits are demanding more honesty about how products are made. Additive-free labeling has already transformed tequila and is reshaping whiskey and RTDs. Drinkers now expect producers to protect natural flavor instead of masking it, and bartenders increasingly use transparency as a measure of quality. The letter positions rum as the next category entering this accountability cycle, as more consumers begin to question undisclosed sweeteners, flavorings and added color.

Tequila provides the clearest precedent. Producers who embraced additive-free methods helped premiumize the category, while brands relying on undisclosed additives now face growing skepticism. According to the letter, rum is approaching the same turning point. Jefferson explains that Kuleana Rum Works was founded on additive-free principles: growing heirloom Hawaiian kō (sugarcane), fermenting and distilling fresh juice at lower proof to preserve natural character, adding nothing after distillation and holding all blending partners to the same standards. Every rum — whether distilled in Hawai‘i or sourced — is verified additive-free through independent lab testing and supplier documentation.

“Consumer expectations are changing fast across spirits,” said Steve Jefferson, Founder and CEO of Kuleana Rum Works. “People want honesty in what they drink, and they’re rewarding producers who protect natural flavor rather than covering it up. Additive-free isn’t a trend — it’s becoming the standard, and rum is now facing that shift head-on.”

Additional detail in the letter underscores how production choices such as fresh juice fermentation, low-proof distillation and a strict no-additives policy create transparency and flavor integrity that align with what the market is valuing.

About Kuleana Rum Works

Founded on the island of Hawai‘i in 2013, Kuleana Rum Works crafts award-winning, additive-free rums — led by its signature Hawaiian Rum Agricole® — from fresh kō (heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane) grown on its regenerative Kohala farm. Now available in 17 states and Japan, Kuleana Rum Works champions excellence, transparency and community stewardship. Visit kuleanarum.com to learn more.

https://kuleanarum.com/additive-free/