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Loud Toronto crowd, atmosphere at Rogers Centre, gives Jays true home field advantage

Oct 3, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) smiles after hitting a third inning solo home run against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Oct 3, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) smiles after hitting a third inning solo home run against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Photo by Tommy Gilligan /USA TODAY Sports

How big is home-field advantage in this weekend’s wild card round for the Blue Jays?

It could very well help carry them to greater heights, believes ESPN baseball insider Buster Olney.

Don Brennan’s daily hit on the world of sports betting. Whether you’re new to sports gambling or an experienced wagerer, this newsletter offers trustworthy insights into the odds game. 19+. Please gamble responsibly.

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“If you were to list in baseball the places you don’t want to be the visiting team, because of the atmosphere, because of the intensity of the crowd, the noise, Toronto would be right in the top three for me,” Olney said this morning on TSN1050’s First Up. “So it is a big deal, I think, to get this in the first round.”

The Jays secured the top wild card in the American League on Monday night, when they defeated the Baltimore Orioles and the Detroit Tigers beat the Seattle Mariners.

Toronto will face either Seattle or Tampa in a best-of-three set at Rogers Centre on Friday, Saturday and, if necessary, Sunday.

The Jays will draw the Mariners if Seattle wins both games of a doubleheader today against Detroit, or wins one of the two games while the Rays lose in Boston.

Otherwise, they’ll have to wait until Wednesday to see if Tampa can leapfrog the Mariners for fifth spot in the AL.

This is the first year winner of the top wild card spot, or the fourth place team in the league, gets to host all three games of the wild card round.

The Cleveland Guardians, who clinched first in the AL Central but with fewer wins than AL East clinching Yankees or the AL West clinching Astros, will host the team sixth place team this weekend, while New York and Houston enjoy a bye.

“I love the fact they’ve put so much emphasis on home field,” said Olney. “There’s not, in a three-game series, a situation where you go 1-1-1 or 1-2 … I love the fact the Blue Jays get to host, the Cleveland Guardians get to host all three games, and I do think it’s going to be a factor.

“We’ll see how good the Mariners pitching is, assuming they’re the team the Blue Jays are going to face,” he added. “But I think (home field) is a huge deal, and it’s a way, if you’re the Blue Jays, potentially …  it’s a great way to launch into the post-season.”

The Jays have the sixth shortest odds to win the World Series, behind in order, Dodgers, Astros, Yankees, Braves and Mets.

– Don Brennan