"Get that jersey off your body"; "Born loser" - Jays fans fume after Auston Matthews dons Vladimir Guerrero Jr. jersey after team’s World Series berth

The Toronto Blue Jays punched their World Series ticket for the first time in 32 years after a dramatic come-from-behind win against the Seattle Mariners in ALCS Game 7 on Monday.

Before the series decider, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. arrived at the ballpark wearing Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews' jersey. The Maple Leafs star returned the favor by donning Guerrero Jr.'s jersey ahead of Tuesday's clash against the New Jersey Devils.

Fans reacted to the NHL star paying tribute to the ALCS MVP.

"Get that jersey off your body. No leaf should be touching anything Blue Jays."

"Born Loser."

"Matthew’s is just amazed to see a Toronto athlete advance to a championship round. I don’t think he actually knew that was allowed to happen."

"Big difference between the 2 players. One has shown to be able to lift the team when it counts. The other? Well, when is golf tee time again?"

"And it’ll be another year where the leafs won’t even make it to the stanley cup final, let alone win the cup."

The Blue Jays jersey didn't bring luck for Matthews as the Maple Leafs lost 5-2 on the night, dropping their record to 3-3-1 for the season. Matthews, who has four goals and two assists, failed to add to his tally in Tuesday's loss.

Maple Leafs forward pays tribute to Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Blue Jays

Apart from Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs forward Max Domi also repped a Blue Jays jersey to celebrate their AL Pennant-clinching win on Monday. Domi praised Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays after their triumph.

“We're a sports town, right, and we all support each other, and I think everyone in here is rooting for the Jays right now, obviously,” Domi said. "I'm sure it's the same thing when they're coming to our games, but for them to show some love and respect to Auston is obviously well deserved. I'm so happy for [Guerrero Jr.] and his entire team, and I’m really cheering them on in the World Series."

The Blue Jays will face defending World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Fall Classic with the first two games in Toronto.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

Know More

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash