Edwin Encarnacion lifted the Toronto Blue Jays past the Baltimore Orioles with a stunning walk-off home run Tuesday night, but an ugly incident in the seventh inning involving a thrown beer marred an otherwise thrilling game and now Toronto Police are searching for a suspect.
With the score tied 2-2 in the seventh of the AL wild-card game, Jays pinch hitter Melvin Upton Jr. flied out to left field. But as Baltimore Orioles left fielder Hyun Soo Kim made the catch he narrowly avoided being struck in the head by a beer can.
Orioles centre-fielder Adam Jones could be seen angrily gesturing towards the crowd, and manager Buck Showalter came out of the dugout to speak with the umpire crew.
“We’re horrible. We get it. We’re the opponent. We completely understand that. But to throw something at a player that’s about as pathetic as it gets,’’ Jones told reporters following the game.
“I hope they find the guy and press charges. He’s not looking. You could hit him in the back of the head and you have no idea what could happen. That’s a full beer that’s being thrown.”
Toronto Police and Rogers Centre security say they have “very clear images” of the person responsible for throwing a can of beer at Baltimore Orioles’ Kim.
“We would strongly encourage this person to turn themselves into police,” Toronto police said in a statement. “We take this matter very seriously and we will continue to investigate until the person is apprehended.”
READ MORE: Blue Jays fan throws can at Orioles outfielder during wild-card game
Toronto Police Const. Jen Sidhu called the incident “upsetting” and not a true reflection of the city or Blue Jays fans.
“It’s an exciting for the city of Toronto and for someone to disturb or disrupt the game in such an irresponsible manner is definitely upsetting,” Sidhu said. “It’s not a true representation of our city.”
Toronto Mayor John Tory also expressed his disgust at the incident calling the culprit a “loon-ball.” However, he noted that the person was just one among about 50,000 fans at the Rogers Centre.
“I hope that the people sitting around that guy…point him out to somebody and just make sure he doesn’t attend anymore baseball games, and maybe he should get help,” Tory told radio station NewsTalk1010 on Wednesday. “I don’t know where they find these people.”
WATCH: Orioles manager baffled beer can-throwing Blue Jays fan not identified
Details of the incident grew uglier following the game after Jones said he was taunted with racial slurs.
“I’ve heard that so much playing baseball,” he said. “I don’t really care anymore. Call me what you want. I get it. That’s fine.”
Toronto police officers could be seen walking through the section from where the incident occurred, but a Blue Jays spokesperson said the person was not ejected as they took off before police arrived.
“Something like that should never happen. It’s the first time for me and hopefully the last,” Kim said through an interpreter.
Jays and baseball fans alike took to social media to quickly condemn the beer tossing and called for the person to be banned from the Rogers Centre.
Famed novelist Stephen King also commented on the incident.
Major League Baseball and the Toronto Blue Jays said in a joint statement they were “extremely disappointed” by the incident.
Tuesday’s incident is reminiscent of Game 5 of last year’s AL Division Series against Texas, when Blue Jays fans peppered the field with bottles and debris after being upset by a call that allowed a run to score after catcher Russell Martin’s throw back to the mound deflected off a hitters bat.
Toronto police arrested a man after the spray from a thrown beer can covered a baby.
In May 2013, a Blue Jays fan also threw a drink at Orioles outfielder Nate McLouth during a game at Rogers Centre.
-With files from the Canadian Press
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