Four thousand kilometres away? No problem for the Blue Jays faithful.

For Blue Jays fans who couldn’t travel to Los Angeles for the away games during the World Series, they showed up to support the team from afar. Among many watch parties taking place at local establishments in Toronto (and around the country as well), Rogers Centre was rocking with fans who were eager to experience the game live together as a city, even if the team was on the West Coast.

Here’s what the watch party looked like for the crucial Game 4 of the World Series with so much on the line.

Even though most of the World Series games were taking place on weekday nights, that didn’t stop the Blue Jays fans from coming to Rogers Centre to root for Canada’s team. Tickets cost $15, and the net proceeds go to the Jays Care Foundation.

While the stadium remained relatively spacious and quiet at the beginning of the game, the crowd quickly filled up the seats by the time starters Shohei Ohtani and Shane Bieber began pitching to kick off Game 4. Given the location of the big screen in the stadium, the Outfield District remained empty, but fans filled up the rest of Rogers Centre, hoping to watch a winning game. Besides, most fans were decked in Blue Jays’ gear or wore blue clothes to show their support. Some even opted to wear an over-the-top outfit, such as glittery blue blazers.

This is the best and worst-kept secret so far for the watch party at Rogers Centre: there are free swags all around the stadium. The easiest freebie to find was small bags of popcorn with the Blue Jays’ logo, which was the most accessible item for many fans who were attending the watch party. Some fans also scored free black postseason beanies and another item in blue with the slogan “Want It All.”

Source: Veronica Chung

Watching the game on the big screen isn’t the easiest thing to do, especially in an age where people have access to various technologies at their fingertips. At the outset of the game, fans were relatively silent as Ohtani carved out the Blue Jays’ lineup. However, when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. clubbed a two-run home run at the top of the third, fans became even more passionate and engaged in the game.

Vladdy’s home run may have been the biggest moment of the game during Game 4, but every little moment mattered to those at the Rogers Centre. When a player drew a walk, hit a single or a double or made an amazing defensive play, every fan in the stadium cheered louder and louder because they knew baseball is a game of inches.

Some of the loudest fan reactions came from the Dodgers’ pitchers checking in on the Blue Jays’ runners on first base, and whenever Toronto’s starter got the Dodgers’ batters out. The Blue Jays’ force play challenge during the top of the seventh and MLB’s decision to overturn the call also generated much of the hopeful and satisfied cheer all around Rogers Centre as well.

Source: Veronica Chung

If there was an unsung hero at Rogers Centre for the watch party, it was certainly the Blue Jays’ mascot Ace.

Ace wasn’t just there to simply watch the game – he was ready to fire the fans up at any given time, without missing a beat.

The Jays’ mascot was stationed on the first base side of the field to watch the game, but also to guide the fans to cheer for the Blue Jays consistently and passionately. He stood on the field to signal to the crowd on what they should do to show their love for the Blue Jays. Not only did he walk, run and jump around to amp up the atmosphere, he also used a drum to get the occasional “Let’s Go Blue Jays” chant throughout the game.

Source: Veronica Chung

Vladdy’s home run was the defining moment, which shifted the flow of Game 4, and the Blue Jays’ four-run inning at the top of the seventh fired up the fans at Rogers Centre even more. With that momentum on Toronto’s side, the fans were more convinced of a chance at bringing the World Series back home, and the cheers became louder and louder every passing inning.

Starter-turned-reliever Chris Bassitt’s stellar relief appearance garnered attention from many fans during Game 4, and his outing gave Blue Jays fans the hope they needed to hang onto until the game ended. Despite his shaky ninth-inning appearance, Louis Varland contributed to growing hopium in Toronto. Varland may have put two players on base and surrendered one run to the Dodgers, but he got the job done in the end and locked down the win for the Blue Jays.

When the game ended, the Blue Jays fans couldn’t remain quiet. Many fans cheered and chanted as they exited the stadium, reaffirming their exhilaration and enthusiasm. Regardless of how much they knew about baseball, it was clear that the fans knew there was something special about this team, especially after seeing a gritty win without star player George Springer in the lineup. The postgame cheers and excitement were how the Blue Jays fans expressed their marvel at the team that continues to beat the expectations.