NEW YORK -- After Friday night's Toronto Blue Jays-New York Yankees series opener in the Bronx, one car of a downtown No.4 subway train to Manhattan carried a majority of Toronto fans, who loudly congratulated each other upon entrance. There was a conviviality among those clad in royal blue while, uncharacteristically, the pinstriped locals slunk quietly in their seats.
The scene was prophetic — and unfamiliar. As recently as July 2014, the Blue Jays had lost 17 straight games at Yankee Stadium. Less than an hour earlier on Friday night, however, Toronto right fielder Jose Bautista had slugged a game-winning home run in the 10th inning to pull the Blue Jays as close to the division-leading Yankees as they had been in four weeks and then talked about "making a statement.