TORONTO — Over two decades of pent-up demand for playoff baseball in Toronto was unleashed on the Internet and phone lines today as Blue Jays fans snapped up post-season tickets.
Wild-card and American League Division Series single-game tickets went on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Eastern time this morning. By 11:40 a.m., the Jays tweeted that the ALDS tickets were sold out, and only limited options for a potential wild-card game remained.
Tickets were only available for purchase online and by phone.
Jays playoff tickets have already appeared on secondary-market sites, and at a premium price. Single tickets on the 500 level, originally priced at $50, were selling for around $200.
Playoff baseball in Toronto for the first time since the Jays won the World Series in 1993 is almost a guarantee. The Blue Jays have a three-and-a-half game lead over New York atop the American League East entering tonight's action with just over a week left in the season.
Even if Toronto imploded and lost the division race with the Yankees, the Blue Jays would be a virtual lock to host the American League wild-card game. Toronto is six-and-a-half games up on Houston, which currently sits in the second wild-card spot.
The Jays said that single-game tickets for the American League final will go on sale Oct. 7, while World Series tickets will be available starting Oct. 22.
Playoff tickets were available previously to season-ticket and flex-pack holders.