MONTREAL -- The throng of 46,121 at Olympic Stadium were rooting more for the defunct Montreal Expos, but they stood and cheered

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MONTREAL -- The throng of 46,121 at Olympic Stadium were rooting more for the defunct Montreal Expos, but they stood and cheered the Toronto Blue Jays just the same. Custom Nuggets Jersey . Pinch hitter Ricardo Nanita singled with two out in the ninth to lift the Blue Jays to a 5-4 victory over the New York Mets on a Friday night that was part exhibition baseball, part tribute to former Expos and Mets catcher Gary Carter and part appeal to the world to bring baseball back to Montreal. It was the first game at the Big O since the Expos farewell game on Sept. 24, 2004, before they moved to Washington, D.C. to become the Nationals. The teams will play again on Saturday afternoon, when the Expos 1994 team will be feted. Carters widow Sandy and daughter Kimmy were on hand with his ex-teammates Tim Raines, Steve Rogers and Warren Cromartie for a pre-game tribute to perhaps the most popular player in Expos history. He also played for and won a World Series in 1986 with the Mets. "The city always embraced Gary, and us as a family" Sandy Carter said afterwards. "I really felt that tonight. We made it our home and felt privileged to be here for 11 years." Carter died of brain cancer at age 57 in 2012. The City of Montreal named a street after him outside the Expos original home, Jarry Park. "He was a great teammate, a great player, a great competitor," said Raines, a roving outfield instructor for the Blue Jays. "Him and Andre Dawson taught me the meaning of playing the game. "If I didnt listen to him, Andre Dawson would slap me upside the head." Many other former players and management personnel were on hand to see the Blue Jays come back from a 4-2 deficit to tie the game in the seventh and win it in the ninth. Fans chanted Lets Go Expos throughout most of the game, but all were on their feet for the final inning trying to will the Blue Jays to victory. Munenori Kawasaki opened the ninth with a double and scored from third as Nanita singled up the middle. Jeremy Jeffress pitched the final two innings for the win. Mets third baseman David Wright, a rookie in 2004, called it a fun night. "It brought back a bunch of memories for me," said Wright. "My first road trip in the big leagues was to Montreal, my first home run was in Montreal, so it was nice today to reminisce as bit. "Its nice for us to be able to come up here and break up spring training a bit, because it gets a little boring down there (in Florida). To come up to a great city with an obviously hungry fan base -- its kind of like a dress rehearsal for us. Youve got the big crowd, you get a little more excited than at a normal spring training game. "Its good practice for Monday (the Mets season opener against the Nationals)." The Mets scored two in the fourth off Jays starter Mark Buehrle on Chris Youngs two-run double. Toronto got one back in the fourth on Jose Bautistas home run, but Ruben Tejada doubled and scored on Daniel Murphys two-bagger off Casey Janssen in the fifth. Former Blue Jays prospect Travis dArnaud led off the seventh with a home run, but Edwin Encarnacion tied it with a two-run single in the seventh off Gonzalez Germen. Encarnacion was tagged out in a rundown after the runners scored. Cromartie leads a movement called the Montreal Baseball Project that is working to get a team back in Montreal, even though estimates are that it would cost more than $1 billion for a team and a new ballpark. The Expos, who became Canadas first major league team in 1969, moved to Washington to become the Nationals in 2004 after a decade of fire sales of top players, dwindling attendance and timid ownership. Cromartie and others are trying to revive baseball interest. They called on Montreal fans to turn out in large numbers to the pre-season games to show that the city will support baseball. "If people think there are no fans here -- you see tonight, the support is here," said Raines. "I think it would be good," said Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie, a native of Langley, B.C. "If the fans show up -- that would be the telling tale. You need that support. But it would be good for Canada." The Mets are old Expos rivals, but the crowd was behind the Jays from the start. There was a big ovation for a diving defensive play by Lawrie in the third and another an inning later for Bautistas homer. But in the stands, there were periodic chants of Lets Go Expos, just like in the old days. The Blue Jays open the season on Tuesday in Tampa Bay, so the trip north from Florida spring training actually took them out of their way. But no one complained of playing in front of huge, supportive crowd. "To be honest, Id rather stay in Florida, but its good for Canada," said Lawrie. "We can suck it up. Its good energy." Buehrle gave up two earned runs and four hits in four innings. Kenneth Faried Jersey . -- Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Sidney Rice tweeted an apparent goodbye after a report about his pending release. Will Barton Jersey . Now the Minnesota Vikings have set their sights on soccer.(Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers have picked an awful time to play their worst baseball of the season. On Tuesday, the Rangers try to stop a seven-game losing streak and remain in the postseason mix when they play the second of four straight games against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Texas struggles continued on Monday, as Alex Cobb threw eight strong innings to lead Tampa Bay to a 6-2 win. Wil Myers hit a solo homer and had three RBI and Ben Zobrist reached base four times with three hits and a walk for the Rays, who remained atop the AL wild card standings with their fourth win in five games. The Rangers were tied for the wild card lead with Tampa Bay coming into the game but fell to 2-12 in their last 14 games. Cobb (9-3) struck out 10, walked one and gave up two runs and six hits. The Rays won for the first time in his last five starts. "At this point of the season, and with the position were in, every game is going to get bigger. Yesterday was the biggest game of the season, today is the biggest game of the season, tomorrow will be the biggest game of the season. I dont think its unfair to say that. We realize the performance we have to put together out there every night. I think were up for it," Cobb said. Matt Garza (3-5) was charged with six runs in 4 11/3 innings in his first-ever start against his former team. Kenneth Faried Nuggets Jersey. Garza, who pitched for Rays from 2008-10, gave up eight hits and two walks and struck out three. Garza made his first appearance at Tropicana Field since the Rays dealt him to the Cubs on Jan. 8, 2011. "Im not frustrated and Im confused," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Im trying to figure out what we have to do to jump-start this offense." Heading to the hill for the Rangers on Tuesday will be right-hander Alexi Ogando, who is 6-4 with a 3.23 earned run average in 19 games (15 starts) this season. Ogando has not started since Aug. 13, making four relief appearances this month since coming off the disabled list. He has thrown six scoreless innings over that time, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out five. Ogando is 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA in nine career meetings with the Rays, including two starts. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, will counter with righty Jeremy Hellickson, who is 11-8 with a 5.04 ERA. Hellickson did not get a decision on Thursday against Boston, as he allowed three runs and four hits in 5 1/3 frames of his teams 4-3 win. Hellickson has faced the Rangers three times and is 0-2 with a 3.18 ERA. Texas has split its four matchups with the Rays this season. 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