Nine highest-scoring games in Blue Jays history

A memorable 28–5 drubbing of the Boston Red Sox tops the list. But do any other games come close?

A Toronto Blue Jays player runs in front of the Fenway Park scoreboard — Lourdes Gurriel Jr. runs past the scoreboard after the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Boston Red Sox 28-5 on July 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

It was intantly one for the memory banks. On July 22, 2022, the Toronto Blue Jays scored a 28–5 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

As it turns out, the scoring output was pretty close to the overall MLB record. Only four teams in league history have scored more than 28: the Texas Rangers (30), and the Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, and aforementioned Red Sox (29 each).

So, it goes without saying this was a Blue Jays franchise record. But what are the other highest-scoring games in team history, and how many times have they even approached 28 runs?

With a little help from Stathead, we tracked down the numbers. Here are the Jays’ top nine run totals ever:

The Blue Jays’ highest-scoring games from highest to lowest, compared to the scoring average for that season. (Chart by Craig Battle)

As the chart shows, the previous high was 24 runs, which the Jays topped by the fifth inning versus the Red Sox in 2022.

Here’s the breakdown game by game:

1. July 22, 2022

Opponent: Boston Red Sox
Score: 28–5

A relatively fast start — three runs in the first two innings, nothing to sneeze at — took a turn to the sublime with a seven-run third, a four-run fourth, and a whopping 11-run fifth.

Outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. tied Frank Catalanotto’s franchise record with six hits, but the enduring memory from this one is still Raimel Tapia’s ultra-rare inside-the-park grand slam:

Completely fun and normal GRAND SLAM 🙌 pic.twitter.com/cAvX8pZiWN
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 23, 2022

2. June 26, 1978

Opponent: Baltimore Orioles
Score: 24–10

It was the team’s second year of existence, and they were 23-46 heading into this game at old Exhibition Stadium facing the 40-30 Orioles. They also gave up the first run on a bases-loaded single in the top of the first.

But the Jays broke the game wide open with a nine-run second inning, then scored 15 more in the following three before putting on the cruise control.

Despite the fact that he didn’t even start the game, first baseman John Mayberry went three for three with two home runs, 10 total bases, and seven RBI after pinch hitting for Doug Ault in the second.

3. Sept. 12, 2021

Opponent: Baltimore Orioles
Score: 22–7

Like the 2022 Red Sox game, this one should still be fresh in Jays’ fans’ minds. A five-run first opened the floodgates, and it was long over by the third.

Gurriel had only two hits in three plate appearances, but he made them count: two homers and a total of seven RBI.

Also, for those feeling bad for the Orioles after the last two games on the list — don’t. Their highest-scoring game ever was a 23–1 win on Sept. 28, 2000 … against the Jays.

4. June 25, 2002

Opponent: Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Score: 20–11

It’s hardly ancient history, but this game did take place back when Tampa still had the “Devil” in their name. (They switched to “Tampa Bay Rays” in 2008. See below.)

The game stayed relatively close to the end of the seventh, when the Jays were leading 14–8. At that point, though, they ripped off a six-run eighth to seal it.

Toronto outfielder Jose Cruz was batting .225 coming into the game, but ripped off four hits in five at-bats for six RBI.

5. May 23, 2023

Opponent: Tampa Bay Rays
Score: 20–1

That’s more like it, team name-wise.

Leading 11–1 heading into the top of the ninth in Tampa, the Jays put up a staggering nine insurance runs. The barrage featured three two-out homers, including a grand slam from Vladimir Guerrero Jr.:

Grand #PLAKATA 💥 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/yNRGyXWVWu
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) May 24, 2023

The end result was a 19-run margin of victory, the second highest in team history after only the 2022 drubbing of the Red Sox.

Also of note: George Springer led the team with four hits, coming just a double away from hitting the cycle.

6. Sept. 10, 1977

Opponent: New York Yankees
Score: 19–3

The shining moment of the Jays’ first season, outside of their opening-day win in the snow.

Toronto came into this game in last place in the AL East, trailing Reggie Jackson and the eventual World Series champion Yankees by 39.5 games. But on this day, none of that mattered.

The Jays chased future Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter from the mound after just 3.1 innings, and Toronto third baseman Roy Howell drove in nine runs on his own.

All in all, this is the underrated equivalent to the Raptors beating the Chicago Bulls in their inaugural 1995–96 season.

7. June 26, 1983

Opponent: Seattle Mariners
Score: 19–7

An epic meeting between 1977 MLB expansion franchises.

The Jays’ lineup for this one included a slew of all-time franchise greats from Jesse Barfield and Ernie Whitt to Lloyd Moseby and Rance Mulliniks, in what ended up being the Jays’ first above-.500 season.

Fittingly, Toronto won this game with a relatively balanced scoring attack. Ten players drove in runs, with Dave Collins leading the way with five RBI — one more than he’d managed in the season to that point.

8. Aug. 9, 1999

Opponent: Texas Rangers
Score: 19–4

If a 19-run game with a 15-run margin of victory can be seen as run of the mill, this might be it.

In the middle of a relatively dark period for the team — they finished third or worse in the AL East every year between 1994 and 2005 — Carlos Delgado and Shawn Green each homered and shared the team lead with four RBI.

Toronto Blue Jay Brandon Drury celebrates a grand slam in August 2019 — Brandon Drury celebrates a grand slam against the Texas Rangers on Aug. 12, 2019. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Thornhill)

9. Aug. 12, 2019

Opponent: Texas Rangers
Score: 19–4

No, you’re not seeing double. Basically 20 years to the day of the game mentioned above, the Jays defeated the Rangers by the exact same score, with a total of runs they’d achieved just six times in franchise history at that point.

Spooky.

Anyway, this win was a huge showcase for the young Jays. Eight of the nine players in the lineup — including Guerrero Jr., Teoscar Hernandez, and Cavan Biggio — tallied extra-base hits. The eight-run fourth inning that put the game away included two doubles and a grand slam on its own.

Also, playing in just his fifteenth game, a 21-year-old Bo Bichette continued his hot start, leading the team with four hits and upping his average on the season to .394.

This is an updated version of an article originally published in 2022.

Share `;