The Peterborough Examiner

Yanks to join Jays for Montreal tuneup

- LAURA ARMSTRONG SPORTS REPORTER

The Blue Jays will once again wrap up spring training in Montreal next March with a pair of exhibition games against the New York Yankees.

Toronto will go head-to-head with their American League East rivals on March 23 and 24, their final tune-ups before the 2020 regular season begins with a four-game home series against the Boston Red Sox starting on March 26.

“We are excited to return to Montreal once again the celebrate the city’s rich baseball history and tradition,” Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro said in a release. “Getting the privilege to play at Olympic Stadium in front of thousands of passionate baseball fans always reminds us of how honoured we are to represent Canadians from coast to coast.”

This will be the first time Toronto has faced the Yankees in Montreal since the team started playing exhibition games in the city in 2014. Previous opponents include the Red Sox, New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers.

Montreal, home to the Expos from 1969 to 2004, has long been considered a possible location for a Major League Baseball expansion team or a relocation. This past summer, MLB granted the Tampa Bay Rays permission to explore splitting their home schedule between Tampa and Montreal, but no final decisions have been announced about the possibilit­y of a shared season.

The Yankees are currently down 2-1 to the Houston Astros in the AL championsh­ip series, with Game 4 of the best-of-seven series reschedule­d for Thursday night in New York after rain forced its postponeme­nt Wednesday.

Tickets for the Montreal games go on sale Friday at noon.

 ?? TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO ?? Montreal-born Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is expected to return to his birthplace when the Jays wrap up spring training with games vs. the Yankees.
TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO Montreal-born Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is expected to return to his birthplace when the Jays wrap up spring training with games vs. the Yankees.

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