What once looked like a distant dream has become reality: the Toronto Blue Jays are division champions once more. After a long, winding season, the club claimed the American League East for the first time in a decade.
A dominating win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday did the trick.
The Blue Jays went into Sunday tied with the Yankees for first place but held the tiebreaker advantage.
Their win, combined with New York’s victory over Baltimore, secured Toronto the No. 1 seed in the American League East and a first-round bye. The Yankees, meanwhile, will host the Red Sox in a best-of-three wild-card series starting Tuesday.
To celebrate the Jays advancing in the postseason, the City of Toronto raised the Blue Jays’ postseason flag at City Hall on Monday, and it’s now flying high.
The ceremony, which took place at 9 a.m., included remarks from Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik and Michelle Seniuk, senior vice-president of Fan Experience with the Blue Jays. ACE, the team’s mascot, and members of J FORCE, the entertainment squad, were also on hand to mark the occasion.
Blue Jays fans wasted no time sharing their excitement online.
“What an incredible team and incredible run. Held off the Yankees for months despite their grandest efforts. Everybody pulling their weight! Take it in and celebrate boys! And then get some much needed rest!” one Reddit user said.
Another called the win “an incredible way to finish off the season,” adding, “That was a glorious game. They deserve every bit of it!”
“This team is easy to root for. They have no real villains, several talented underdogs, some star players, they don’t make a lot of silly errors and have good at bats. An entertaining good team and likeable,” a fan wrote.
“10 years later but still feels just as sweet,” another user said.
With the division secured, the Blue Jays move into October with a first-round bye and home-field advantage. The team will play Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Saturday and their opponent is to be decided.
