It took 11 days into August, but the Toronto Blue Jays played their first “home” game of the season on Tuesday night.
The Jays have found a home nest playing out of Sahlen Field in Buffalo for the remainder of the already-weird 2020 Major League Baseball season.
It wasn’t the organization’s first plan, nor the second, but baseball is all about a chance at redemption, and the Jays settled in nicely, winning in walk-off fashion against the Miami Marlins 5-4 in 10 innings.
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It was the first MLB game in Buffalo in 105 years, and fans were trying as much as they could to sneak a peek of some long-awaited baseball action. So much so, they took to the freeway to get a glimpse of the new-uniformed Blue Jays.
“Those aren’t hitchhikers, folks, they’re baseball fans.” 😂 pic.twitter.com/WdNe3vzM0Z
— Blue Jays in Buffalo (@BlueJaysBuffalo) August 11, 2020
Sahlen Field is home to the Buffalo Bisons, the Jays Triple-A affiliate. The field has undergone a number of upgrades to host major league games including home and visitor clubhouses, the scoreboard, and new LED lights.
The Jays have also taken to some upgrades, sporting new baby-blue home jerseys.
Apart from the walk-off win, the Jays first home game in Buffalo featured Canada’s national anthem, the “OK Blue Jays” pump up song, cardboard cutouts of famous Jays in the stands, the biggest 50/50 jackpot (over a million dollars) in MLB history, and a Black Lives Matter recognition video.
O Canada in Buffalo. SOUND UP! 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/lYnfSmw1uc
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 11, 2020
Your favourite song 💙 #WeAreBlueJays pic.twitter.com/JVNPXjV4Np
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 12, 2020
LAST CHANCE: There are 90 minutes left to join in the biggest jackpot in @MLB history!
Get your tickets now: https://t.co/5chwqupEdT pic.twitter.com/k5C7aoXZuT
— Jays Care Foundation (@JaysCare) August 12, 2020
Say Their Name. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/Uhgk4SUgU5
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 11, 2020
There was certainly plenty of action to soak up from last night’s win as the 6-8 Jays host the Marlins for Game 2 on Wednesday before welcoming in the Tampa Bay Rays for a weekend series at Sahlen Field.
He came.
He Shaw.
HE WALKED IT OFF 🔥 pic.twitter.com/y1yDmiZit0— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 12, 2020