(Photo: Getty Images/Sean M. Haffey)
OTTAWA- Canada’s team, the Toronto Blue Jays, will host the American League Wild Card game tomorrow in what promises to be an incredible atmosphere at Rogers Centre.
The back-to-back playoff appearances will see three Canadians likely to suit up for the Jays as they take-on the Baltimore Orioles in a one-game showdown for the right to face the Texas Rangers in one of two American League Division Series’.
A heart and soul player with the Jays, catcher Russell Martin (Montréal, QC) will be behind the plate tomorrow night when the first pitch is thrown. Martin belted 20 home runs during the regular season, eclipsing the 20 home run mark for the third time in his career and earned rave reviews all season for helping the Blue Jays starting rotation to the lowest Earned Run Average (ERA) in the American League.
Blue Jays outfielder Michael Saunders (Victoria, BC) enjoyed a career season that included a career-high 24 home runs and his first appearance in the MLB All-Star Game.
Dalton Pompey (Mississauga, ON) spent season with Triple-A Buffalo before being a September call-up with the big club. Pompey’s calling card is his speed, and he’s been used late in ball games off the bench as the Jays made their run to the Wild Card game.
Over in the National League, reliever Jim Henderson (Calgary, AB) appeared in 44 games with the New York Mets after winning a job with the National League East squad as a non-roster invitee out of spring training. The Mets will host the San Francisco Giants in the National League Wild Card game on Wednesday.
Finally, Edmonton-born left-hander Rob Zastryzny made his Major League debut on August 19th with the Chicago Cubs who had the best regular season record in the big leagues. Zastryzny has appeared in eight games with the Cubs including one start. The Cubs will take on the winner of the Mets/Giants Wild Card game in the National League Division Series.
Including Zastryzny, 14 Canadians played in at least one regular season game in 2016.
