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'Jose! Jose! Jose!' Toronto euphoric after wild Blue Jays win

They instantly forgot the frustrations they'd felt over controversial calls or the nervousness over losing the first two games in their best-of-five American League Division Series.

Bautista's 3-run homer puts fans over the moon and team into American League Championship Series

CBC News ·

Blue Jays fans bursting with pride

9 years ago
Duration 2:33
After years of professional sports futility, fans in Toronto and across Canada are waving the Blue Jays banner with gusto

They instantly forgot the frustrations they'd felt over controversial calls or the nervousness over losing the first two games in their best-of-five American League Division Series. 

When Blue Jays fans lost their collective minds Wednesday night, it was well-earned.

Nearly 50,000 fans who packed the Rogers Centre stood on their feet and roared after Jose Bautista hit a home run to vault the Jays ahead of the Texas Rangers 6-3 — a lead they never lost — putting the team on its way to the American League Championship Series.

Strangers hugged each other in Nathan Phillips Square and high-fived each other in downtown bars.

A young woman in a downtown Toronto bar expressed frustration with the umpire's call that put the Rangers ahead 3-2.
"Yeah, it was stupid. But you know what? We played with anger," she said. "We played with passion, and when we do that, we always win."

Another fan beside her was asked if there was a point where he thought the Jays wouldn't make it.

"Never!" the ecstatic fan said. "As soon as I saw Jose Bautista at the plate I knew he would hit a three-run home run." 

Not surprisingly, Bautista and the Jays began trending on Twitter almost immediately.

"Jose! Jose-Jose-Jose!" chants echoed around the Rogers Centre as fans saluted Game 5's hero.

On Front Street, a Toronto fire truck decked out with Jays fans blared its horn to the delight of fans, who swarmed into the road to high five firefighters.

And while the game had briefly turned ugly, the crowd appeared to be fired up but peaceful.

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