MONTREAL - Josh Donaldson homered to lead a 15-hit Toronto attack as the Blue Jays downed the Cincinnati Reds 9-1 in an exhibition game before 50,231 fans at Olympic Stadium on Saturday.

The Jays earned a split of a two-game set with Cincinnati. Their final pre-season games drew huge crowds as Montreal fans rallied to show Major League Baseball they want big league ball back after losing the Expos to Washington in 2004.

With the 46,314 that saw the Reds' 2-0 win on Friday night, a total of 96,545 turned out for the two games, up slightly from last year's 46,350 when Toronto played twice against the New York Mets.

The Blue Jays open the regular season Monday against the Yankees in New York.

Cincinnati's Bryson Smith drove in Chris Dominguez with a single in the ninth off Taylor Cole for the Reds only run as the Jays held the Reds to three hits.

Donaldson hammered a 1-1 pitch over the wall in dead centre in the second inning.

Reds starter Anthony Desclafani escaped with only one run allowed in the fourth when Jose Bautista doubled in Russell Martin only to be thrown out trying to take third. Then Edwin Encarnacion walked but had to hold up at third on Dioner Navarro's ground rule double. Dalton Pomley grounded out to end the threat.

The Jays added four in the fifth off relievers Kevin Gregg and Chris Carpenter. Jose Reyes Encarnacion, Donaldson and Navarro each drove in a run.

Three more came in the sixth off Manny Parra with Justin Smoak, Steve Tolleson and Danny Valencia producing runs.

Martin, who grew up in Montreal, got a warm ovation when his father Russell Sr. went onto the field to take him out of the game to start the seventh. Another lively ovation was for Reds pinch hitter Chad Wallach, whose father Tim was a popular Expos third baseman.

Norris allowed three walks and no runs. Desclafani went four, allowing two runs on three hits with three strikeouts.

Notes: The Blue Jays decided on their last 25-man roster spot before the game, opting to keep Liam Hendricks and go with an eight-man bullpen and sending infielder Ryan Goins to triple-A Buffalo . . . Ex-Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston and infielder Roberto Alomar and former Montreal Expos star Tony Perez were honoured in a pre-game ceremony. ... Regina's Stu Sheruwater was home plate umpire.