Fans, city amped up with Toronto Blue Jays on cusp of World Series victory
CBC
The city, as well as the country, is buzzing Friday as the Toronto Blue Jays look to win their first World Series in more than 30 years.
The Blue Jays are back at home for Game 6 Friday night after taking two of three road games from the Dodgers in Los Angeles this week to give them a 3-2 series lead.
The Jays will now have the chance to hoist the Commissioner's Trophy in front of a sold-out crowd at Rogers Centre, as well as millions of fans watching across Canada Friday night, with Game 7 set for Saturday if necessary.
With tickets long gone, and resales going for over $2,000, fans were all over Rogers Centre Friday morning, decked out in Jays gear, in a race to claim 150 giveaways to Game 6.
One of the lucky winners, Jake Corvese of Georgetown, Ont., said his friends bought tickets to Game 7, but he held off because he believed the Jays would win the series Friday.
"When you see this team, the chemistry is there," he said.
Corvese said he's been watching all season, including the Jays' dismal first month, and he's thrilled to be in the dome in what could be the last game of the year. His mom is also a big Jays fan, he said, and he called her from outside the stadium to tell her she was going to Game 6.
"We watch it all the time ... it's a special moment, [so] I've got to share it with my mom," he said.
For those who can't make it into the game, the city will host a free public watch party at Nathan Phillips Square. First pitch is set for 8 p.m. ET, which coincides with Halloween festivities.
Ben Shulman, the voice of the Jays' Fan 590 radio broadcasts, says he expects to see lots of fans dressed up, predicting Davis Schneider costumes should be especially popular.
"I'm sure we'll see a ton of his mustache,” he told CBC Radio's Metro Morning Friday. "It's just so fun for the city and country to have something going on like this."
Speaking of Halloween, many restaurants and bars in the city have had to switch gears Friday, changing costume parties into Blue Jays themed events after Game 6 was confirmed this week.
And it's not just sports bars.
At Lyla, a sleek Queen West Mediterranean spot, partner Daniel Van Welie said the establishment's Haute Halloween Soirée has been turned upside down.
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