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Toronto Blue Jays fans were left seething on Friday night after a spectator waving an American flag invaded the field during Game 6 of the World Series in Canada.
In the bottom of the sixth inning of their pivotal clash with the LA Dodgers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto was about the pitch for the visitors when the invader suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
His unwelcome cameo did not last long, nevertheless, as a member of security soon ripped Old Glory out of his hand before combining with a colleague to bring him crashing to the ground at the Rogers Centre.
As he was escorted off the field by police, Blue Jays supporters made their displeasure known by loudly booing the flag-wielder after his patriotic gesture for America.
At the time of the incident the Dodgers were leading 3-1 in Game 6 of the World Series, a result they desperately needed to hold on to in order to force an all-important Game 7.
And in the end they did exactly that following a dramatic end to Game 6 in Toronto.
A World Series fan waving an American flag invaded the field in Toronto on Friday night
The invader appeared out of nowhere in the bottom of the sixth inning at the Rogers Centre
After being tackled to the floor by security he was eventually escorted off by police officers
After winning two of three games in California, fans packed the Rogers Centre with hopes of witnessing the Blue Jays clinch their first championship in 32 years.
Instead, one rough inning from an otherwise strong start by Kevin Gausman led to their eventual 3-1 defeat on the night.
Yet the loss wasn't crystalized until a catch-em-out, throw-em-out double play after Toronto's Addison Barger got too greedy on the basepath, which saw the Dodgers survive and force the do-or-die final game of the baseball season on Saturday night.
With two bases occupied, a home run in the ninth inning would have handed the hosts their first title since 1993.
Instead attention now turns to Saturday's mouthwatering decider at the very same venue.
MLB's end-of-season showpiece has not been settled by a Game 7 since 2019, when the Washington Nationals prevailed over the Houston Astros.
The six-inning mark eventually proved Yamamoto's last of the evening, with the pitching sensation giving up just one run, five hits and a walk while striking out six Blue Jays batters.
