Toronto Blue Jays fans still confident after Dodgers even up World Series in Game 2

TORONTO — Blue Jays fans were quieted Saturday night after Toronto dropped Game 2 of the World Series against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers, but still expressed confidence in the Jays and the energy they’re bringing to the city.

The Blue Jays lost 5-1 to the Dodgers, after defeating Los Angeles 11-4 in Game 1 on Friday night. But some fans said they weren’t deterred by the loss, and among them was Bill Redford who was at Game 2 with his son, Shawn.

“I was elated last night, a little depressed today, but you know what? We’ll come back,” Redford said outside Rogers Centre shortly after the final out on Saturday.

Redford added the Blue Jays are widely considered the underdogs in the series, but he expects that they will still come out on top.

“I don’t think anybody expects Toronto to win the series against the big, bad Dodgers, but we are the grittiest team in baseball,” said the younger Redford. “Every game is important, and I think it’s going to go six or seven.”

Saturday’s game saw Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto going the distance, allowing one run and four hits while striking out eight in a complete game. The Dodgers, who are defending champions, outhit Toronto 6-4, quieting the sellout crowd of 44,607.

Game 3 is scheduled for Monday at Dodgers Stadium.

Jays fan Karri Cee said he’s “never going to doubt the Jays” even when they continue the World Series in California. He came all the way from San Francisco to cheer for the Jays, he said, and he’s not shaken up by Saturday’s setback.

“The Jays are going to get it in five. The Dodgers took one today, but I believe the Jays got a strong offence, good bullpen, good pitching so I think they’re going to pull it off,” said Cee.

Though the atmosphere outside the stadium Saturday night lacked the chants and car horns that filled the air after the Jays’ wins in the ALCS and Game 1 of the World Series, fans were still relishing the opportunity to see the Fall Classic in Toronto for the first time since 1993.

Among them was superfan Shawn Panacci, who said he’s been hooked on the Jays since seeing them at Exhibition Stadium in 1989, when he was eight years old.

“This is amazing because I might not see this again until I’m 70,” said Panacci. “This is amazing to be here today.”

Panacci added that winning two of three games in Los Angeles gives the Jays a chance to clinch the series at home, which would set the city “on fire.”

Through wins and losses, the Blue Jays are “bringing the country together,” he said.

“The crowd is very energetic. I mean, every time there’s a play, it’s so loud. Everybody’s into it. Everybody’s yelling and screaming and cheering,” said Panacci. “It’s such a great energy.”

That energy is part of the reason why the Redford father-son duo are happy to be in the ballpark for the Jays game, even if they lose.

“Sport is about connection. I think that’s what brings communities and families together,” said Shawn Redford. “That’s what has always held us really close together and it’s super special.”

For Bill Redford, that special connection comes out when all the fans rally together around a single word: “Believe.”

“It’s one game. We didn’t expect to sweep, but we’ll get three more for sure.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 25, 2025.

Rianna Lim, The Canadian Press