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Blue Jays draw smallest crowd of season to open pivotal series vs. Rangers
The Blue Jays and Rangers began the biggest series of their respective seasons on Monday, but you wouldn't know it by looking at the Rogers Centre crowd.
The Toronto Blue Jays began their biggest series of the season on Monday, but apparently their fans didn’t get the memo.
Toronto drew a season-low home attendance of 23,451 for the opener of a four-game set against the Texas Rangers — 531 people shy of the previous low-water mark set on June 5 vs. the Houston Astros.
The Blue Jays generally haven't had any trouble drawing crowds to Rogers Centre in 2023, ranking eighth in MLB with an average attendance of 37,288. The team revamped its stadium ahead of the season, unveiling a number of renovations to improve the fan experience.
Mondays are typically the worst-attended games of each week and with children back in school, perhaps parents were hesitant to head to the ballpark for the evening. The Toronto International Film Festival is also in full swing and takes place just up the street from the stadium.
Still, the number is shocking given the stakes of the contest. The Blue Jays entered the game in the second wild-card spot in the American League but their grip on a playoff spot was tenuous, as the Rangers sat 1.5 games behind them. A poor showing against Texas this week could drop Toronto out of a postseason position entirely.
The fans who were in attendance saw the Blue Jays lose a 10-4 decision to the Rangers, with Jonah Heim's grand slam in the seventh inning serving as the big blow. Thanks to a Seattle Mariners loss, the Blue Jays held onto the second wild-card spot, with Texas leapfrogging its AL West rival for the third and final position.
Toronto has a chance to rebound on Tuesday with veteran lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu drawing the start, while Texas sends Max Scherzer to the mound. With the $1 hot dog promotion in effect, maybe more fans will flock to Rogers Centre to check out some meaningful September baseball.
