Okamoto and Springer homer to help the Blue Jays beat the Yankees 8-5

TORONTO (AP) — Kazuma Okamoto and George Springer homered, Alejandro Kirk had three hits and two RBIs in his return from injury and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 8-5 on Friday night.

Kirk went 3 for 3 with a walk after missing 62 games because of a fractured left thumb. He scored and drove in two runs.

Cody Bellinger homered for the Yankees, his 10th, but New York’s four game winning streak was snapped.

Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham left in the sixth inning because of right hamstring tightness. Grisham walked off after sliding into second base on his two-RBI hit against Mason Fluharty. Max Schuemann ran for Grisham.

Trey Yesavage (3-3) allowed four hits and five runs in five-plus innings to win for the first time in four starts. He walked six and struck out three.

Louis Varland pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 12th save in 12 chances.

Okamoto hit a 423-foot drive into the upper deck in the first, his team-leading 14th. Springer homered for the first time since May 23 with a two-out drive in the second, his sixth.

Both homers came off left-hander Ryan Weathers (2-5), who allowed a season-high six runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings. Weathers has given up seven home runs in his past three starts, all losses.

Okamoto became the 10th player in Blue Jays history to homer into the upper deck at Rogers Centre, which opened in 1989. No Toronto player had done it since Josh Donaldson in May 2017.

Toronto is 12-6 when hitting two or more home runs.

New York loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth, with Braydon Fisher escaping by getting Ryan McMahon to fly out.

Yankees RHP Cam Schlittler (7-3, 1.87 ERA) was scheduled to start Saturday RHP Kevin Gausman (4-4, 3.60).

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

New York Yankees pitcher Ryan Weathers throws to a Toronto Blue Jays batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Friday, June 12, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

New York Yankees pitcher Ryan Weathers (40) throws to a Toronto Blue Jays batter during first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Friday, June 12, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage (39) throws to a New York Yankees batter during first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Friday, June 12, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk, left, is met with applause while taking his first at-bat since retuning to the lineup from the injured list during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees in Toronto, Friday, June 12, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays infielder Kazuma Okamoto (7) gestures to the bullpen after hitting a two-run home run scoring Alejandro Kirk, not pictured, against the New York Yankees during first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Friday, June 12, 2026. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

CHICAGO (AP) — Chase Meidroth had three hits and two RBIs, and the Chicago White Sox beat the depleted Los Angeles Dodgers 8-2 on Friday night in a matchup of division leaders.

Andrew Benintendi homered as Chicago improved to 19-3 in its last 22 home games. Miguel Vargas hit a tiebreaking RBI double, and Anthony Kay (6-1) struck out seven in five effective innings.

Los Angeles played without Shohei Ohtani, who was sidelined by left knee inflammation. Ohtani, who is batting .400 (8 for 20) with three homers and seven RBIs in his last five games, is day to day.

Santiago Espinal, who subbed for Ohtani at designated hitter, drove in two runs on an early single. Roki Sasaki (3-4) allowed seven runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings for the NL West leaders.

Chicago sent 11 batters to the plate while scoring seven times in the fifth, delighting a sellout crowd of 37,882 at Rate Field.

Vargas' opposite-field drive off the wall in right-center lifted the White Sox to a 3-2 lead. Back-to-back walks for Colson Montgomery and Braden Montgomery produced another run.

Meidroth then greeted Blake Treinen with a two-run single. One batter later, Tristan Peters tacked on a two-run triple for the surprising AL Central leaders.

Meidroth is batting .340 (16 for 47) during a 12-game hitting streak. He has reached base safely in 22 straight games.

Vargas had three hits against his former team. The infielder was traded from the Dodgers to the White Sox in July 2024.

Sasaki struck out four and walked three. The Japanese right-hander went 2-0 with a 1.48 ERA in his previous four starts.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-4, 2.68 ERA) starts for the Dodgers on Saturday, and fellow right-hander Sean Burke (3-3, 3.88 ERA) takes the mound for the White Sox.

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

Chicago White Sox's Miguel Vargas hits a RBI double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Roki Sasaki exits the game during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Roki Sasaki exits the game during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)

Chicago White Sox's Miguel Vargas (20) celebrates after hitting a RBI double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)

Chicago White Sox's Chase Meidroth scores on Tristan Peters two run RBI triple during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)