NEW YORK (AP) – Major League Baseball will review security at Toronto’s Rogers Centre in an effort to prevent a repeat of the fan disturbance during Game 5 of the Blue Jays’ AL Division Series win over Texas.
Spectators littered the field with debris during an 18-minute delay Wednesday. Toronto catcher Russell Martin hit Texas batter Shin-Soo Choo with his seemingly simple return throw to the pitcher, which resulted in a go-ahead run for the Rangers after several conferences and an umpire’s review. Toronto scored four runs in the bottom of the inning and went on to win 6-3.
“The highly unfortunate reactions of a group of fans at Rogers Centre in Wednesday’s game represented a major source of concern,” MLB said in a statement Thursday. “We appreciate the response of the local authorities and the Blue Jays stadium operations staff in identifying, ejecting and – in some cases – arresting the offenders.”
Toronto opens the AL Championship Series at Kansas City on Friday and hosts the Royals for Games 3-5 starting Monday.
“We will discuss comprehensive security plans for upcoming postseason games in Toronto and reiterate the importance of fans observing the appropriate code of conduct,” MLB said. “Setting yesterday’s situation aside, the enthusiasm from Toronto fans in recent months has been extraordinary. We will do everything we can to foster a safe and fan-friendly atmosphere at Rogers Centre and to ensure that a situation like Wednesday’s will not be repeated.”