Toronto Blue Jays fans were quieter Saturday night after a 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the World Series, tying up the series 1-1.
The devastating game came as Will Smith and Max Muncy both hit solo home runs in the seventh inning against Toronto Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman.
Dodgers ace starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw his second straight post-season complete game to also help earn the win.
But, while Saturday night may have given Jays fans a run for their money, Toronto’s not giving up hope just yet.
Bill Redford, who was at Game 2 with his son, Shawn, said he wasn’t deterred by the loss.
“I was elated last night, a little depressed today, but you know what? We’ll come back,” Redford said outside Rogers Centre shortly after the final out on Saturday.
We asked some fans: What sets the Blue Jays’ fanbase apart from Dodgers?
Redford added the Blue Jays are widely considered the underdogs in the series, but he expects that they will still come out on top.
“I don’t think anybody expects Toronto to win the series against the big, bad Dodgers, but we are the grittiest team in baseball,” said the younger Redford. “Every game is important and I think it’s going to go six or seven.”
Jays fan Karri Cee said he’s “never going to doubt the Jays” even when they continue the World Series in California. He came all the way from San Francisco to cheer for the Jays, he said, and he’s not shaken up by Saturday’s setback.
“The Jays are going to get it in five. The Dodgers took one today, but I believe the Jays got a strong offence, good bullpen, good pitching so I think they’re going to pull it off,” said Cee.
Among them was also superfan Shawn Panacci, who said he’s been hooked on the Jays since seeing them at Exhibition Stadium in 1989, when he was eight years old.
“This is amazing because I might not see this again until I’m 70,” said Panacci. “This is amazing to be here today.”
Panacci added that winning two of three games in Los Angeles gives the Jays a chance to clinch the series at home, which would set the city “on fire.”
Through wins and losses, the Blue Jays are “bringing the country together,” he said.
“The crowd is very energetic. I mean, every time there’s a play, it’s so loud. Everybody’s into it. Everybody’s yelling and screaming and cheering,” said Panacci. “It’s such a great energy.”
That energy is part of the reason why the Redford father-son duo are happy to be in the ballpark for the Jays game, even if they lose.
“Sport is about connection. I think that’s what brings communities and families together,” said Shawn Redford. “That’s what has always held us really close together and it’s super special.”
For Bill Redford, that special connection comes out when all the fans rally together around a single word: “Believe.”
“It’s one game. We didn’t expect to sweep, but we’ll get three more for sure,” he said.
Many fans took to social media to share their unwavering support for the Blue Jays, amidst attacks from Dodgers fans that left some wondering if chanting “We don’t need you” at Shohei Ohtani during Game 1 of the World Series was a good idea.
I planned that this series wasn’t going to be a sweeping kind of one, but on the other hand, I feel pretty good of where these Blue Jays stand, for their first <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldSeries?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#WorldSeries</a> run in 32 seasons.
Fun fact: The 1992 and 93 World Series were also tied at 1-1 before the venue switch. Let’s not get discouraged, fellow Blue Jays fans.
It’s okay Blue Jays you’ll get right to the top .. focus with alert mind on the next games <a href=”https://t.co/IOwFp8NhG7″>pic.twitter.com/IOwFp8NhG7</a>
Back home from vacation and blue jays lost man I honestly didn’t expect them to go up 2-0 in the dodgers anyway just gotta get 2 out of 3 in LA
Superstitions continued to play a role in Game 2 of the World Series, though this time the target was a different Toronto team, not a Toronto-born artist.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, who lost 5-3 to the Buffalo Sabres Friday, coincidentally won 4-3 in Saturday’s game.
Some fans took that to mean the Leafs ought to have a horrible October.
Ok, hear me out :::: you’re going to have to lose every night the Blue Jays play. <br><br>I don’t make the rules. They just are🤷♀️🥲<br><br>You’ll do fine in November. <a href=”https://t.co/sglMXUiH3r”>pic.twitter.com/sglMXUiH3r</a>
Saturday was yet another night of firsts for baseball — though this time, the accomplishments were more about performance and less about the players.
The Jonas Brothers made a special appearance at Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday, performing as part of a renewed partnership between MLB and charitable organization Stand Up To Cancer.
While many took the chance to snap pictures of the singers, others were disappointed with the choice.
The Jonas Brothers changed the entire trajectory of the World Series
Previously, Jays fans had been intrigued by the cheese hat guy and muscle man, who sat directly behind home plate during the American League Division Series and the American League Championship Series.
But as Game 2 of the World Series got underway, somebody else began to stand out. What looked to be Colonel Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, left fans rubbing their eyes to make sure they were seeing it right.
What fans later found out was that the man was in fact just dressing up as the renowned American entrepreneur as part of KFC Canada’s marketing for the Blue Jays.
Still, fans couldn’t help but take to social media to boast about the honoured guest.
No buff dudes but apparently Colonel Sanders is sitting behind home plate tonight. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#BlueJays</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldSeries?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#WorldSeries</a> <a href=”https://t.co/BHkqrzsAZG”>pic.twitter.com/BHkqrzsAZG</a>
Pretty casual of Colonel Sanders to rise from the dead just to catch the <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#BlueJays</a>. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldSeries?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#WorldSeries</a> <a href=”https://t.co/B4f4AQ7bA5″>pic.twitter.com/B4f4AQ7bA5</a>
The Jays revived Colonel Sanders to cheer for us 🥲 <a href=”https://t.co/0xXZwYRRN7″>pic.twitter.com/0xXZwYRRN7</a>
Col. Sanders has a primo seat at tonight’s <a href=”https://twitter.com/BlueJays?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@BlueJays</a> game! A win tonight would be “finger licking good!” <a href=”https://t.co/VVa3I9XkWV”>pic.twitter.com/VVa3I9XkWV</a>
The Blue Jays are now on the road, heading to L.A. for Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider announced Max Scherzer will get the ball for the first game at Dodger Stadium. Scherzer previously played for the Dodgers in 2021.
