Toronto Blue Jays at San Diego Padres

All of a sudden, it feels like the Blue Jays have found themselves on the West Coast. Friday’s 5-3 win over the Padres was their third in a row, and with a weekend left to build some momentum going into the All-Star break, the Blue Jays can position themselves for a crowded Wild Card race down the stretch. This is what mattered most from the win: **1\. Okamoto ties Ohtani’s rookie record** With his 22nd home run of the season, Kazuma Okamoto tied Shohei Ohtani’s record for Japanese-born players in their rookie season, which he set in 2018. Okamoto has nearly seven years on Ohtani when you compare their rookie seasons -- Ohtani hitting his at 23 and Okamoto at 30 -- but this is a remarkable moment for the newest Blue Jays star. “I don’t read too much into those numbers,” Okamoto said through interpreter Yusuke Oshima. “I just want to do my part, take it game by game and give my all for this team.” By the time he’s finished, Okamoto could easily blow past 30 and take a run at 35 homers. He’ll need to hold off Munetaka Murakami of the White Sox, though, who was activated from the IL on Friday after being out of action since May 29. He launched 20 home runs over his first 57 games. Good luck holding Murakami off if he picks up that pace again, but that does nothing to diminish what Okamoto has accomplished here. This is such a credit to the Blue Jays’ front office, too. Okamoto’s four-year, $60 million contract was a risk at the time, even with his long track record of success with the Yomiuri Giants. It already looks like some of the best value on this roster, though, and full credit is owed to the Blue Jays’ expanded scouting presence in Asia, which has been consciously grown in recent years and is paying off handsomely right now. **2\. Bieber? Better.** The first inning probably spooked you, and it should have. Shane Bieber needed 30 pitches, walked a pair of batters and allowed yet another home run, already his seventh in just four starts back from the IL. That’s still a major concern, but from that point on, Bieber slowly settled in.