The Blue Jays’ first home game in Buffalo will be played Aug. 11 against the Marlins, reports Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae. Their first “home” games will take place from July 29 to August 2, but those two series will take place at Nationals Park and Citizens Bank Park.
It should come as no surprise that the Blue Jays can’t instantly move into their temporary home, as Buffalo’s Sahlen Field will require some modifications to accommodate the Major League Baseball.
As a result, the Blue Jays will face the unique circumstance of playing games “at home” at their opponent’s ballpark, at least for a few days. This week, the Nationals and Phillies will be designated as visitors to their native baseball stadiums, so expect the cardboard cutouts in Philadelphia to accept no prisoners while Bryce Harperis at bat.
One could imagine that the Blue Jays season start schedule becomes much more difficult without a real family home to turn to, not to mention tough opponents like the Rays and defending champion Nats to open the season, plus the rest of the MLB East division.
At the very least, Sahlen’s field should represent a certain familiarity for many of the team’s young players, who would have gone through Triple-A Buffalo while rising through the Jays’ minor league ranks. Still, there may be some challenges in the sense that their facilities are not intended for MLB gaming, though of course work is being done to meet those standards to the best of their ability.
The teams won’t benefit from fan support in the seats, but there is something to be said for the luxury of waking up in your own bed rather than a hotel room. In any case, it will be interesting to watch the Blue Jays season play in their new temporary home.
