“Toronto Police & @RogersCentre investigating beer-toss @BlueJays/@Orioles game. #Unsportsmanlike fan: turn yourself in. We have photos.” Toronto Police Orioles outfielder

A photo released by Toronto police Wednesday of a man alleged to be the beer-tossing fan at Tuesday’s tense Blue Jays-Orioles game at Rogers Centre has set off a firestorm that has almost eclipsed the game itself.

The image released by police shows a man with dark hair wearing a Blue Jays shirt in the stands behind left field. It tipped off a tide of Internet rage and a citywide digital manhunt.

Late Wednesday, a Postmedia source confirmed to the Star that the man in the photo is Ken Pagan, a Postmedia employee.

In an email to the Star, Phyllise Gelfand, vice-president of communications at Postmedia, confirmed Pagan is an employee and added: “We are conducting an internal investigation but have reached no conclusions at this time.”

Multiple attempts by the Star to reach Ken Pagan were unsuccessful; however, the Toronto Sun — itself owned by Postmedia — reported that Pagan denied being the culprit, noting that he'd been drinking from a plastic cup on Tuesday. Pagan, Postmedia reported, had spoken with Toronto police Wednesday night and made arrangements to report to police but had not yet been charged.

Meaghan Gray, a spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service, did not confirm the suspect’s identity, but said the alleged beer-hurler would face general mischief charges related to the incident.

The can tossed from the outfield stands in the seventh inning of the American League wild-card game landed close to Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim as he tracked down a fly ball. Long after the game was won by the Jays in extra innings — sending them off to Texas to start a playoff series against the Rangers — more mannered baseball fans were expressing outrage and amateur sleuths were dissecting photos and video of the crowd.

On social media, the incident drew comments from hundreds of people, including author Stephen King, who mused “Hey, whatever happened to polite Canadians?”

Toronto Mayor John Tory was clearly upset, calling the culprit a “loon-ball” and imploring fans seated nearby to turn the culprit in.

And the Toronto Sun newspaper offered a reward of $1,000 to whoever could ID the suspect.

Kim’s teammate, centre fielder Adam Jones, who said he heard racial slurs after the can was thrown, called the beer-toss incident “pathetic,” and noted Kim could have been badly injured.

“I hope they find the guy and I hope they press charges because (Kim)’s not looking. You hit him in the back of the head and you never know what can happen.”

Gray said the police had not received any complaints about racial slurs.

On social media, Toronto fans expressed their embarrassment, and frustration.

“Tossing beer cans and yelling racial slurs is abhorrent in any instance. The vast majority of Jays/sports fans/Canadians aren’t like that,” tweeted one.

Torontonian Rick Romain felt bad enough about the incident that he penned an open letter of apology in Wednesday’s Baltimore Sun.

“I wish to apologize on behalf of my city and the great fans we have in all sports for the goon who threw this can during what was an exceptionally exciting game,” Romain wrote.

“Out of 50,000 fans, it only took one to ruin the mood and enjoyment of this great game . . . . This was a no-class gesture, and it reflects badly on an otherwise great city with passionate fans,” he wrote.

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Meanwhile, one person who knows Pagan says he works at Postmedia’s editorial office on Main Street West in Hamilton and is involved with the sports department. Employees there are aware of the allegations.

“He’s not answering anyone’s questions,” said the source. “I think he’s just plugging away.”

Not everyone saw the same thing in the evidence online. The hashtag #FreeKenPagan emerged on Twitter late Wednesday night, with suggestions that the man in the photo released by police had not thrown the beer. One Twitter user asked “who is Ken (Pagan) doing a sit down interview with once he is deemed innocent” and another suggested he should throw out the ceremonial first pitch before one of the Jays’ upcoming playoff games.

Major League Baseball said Wednesday that it has spoken with the Jays about banning cans from the seats at Rogers Centre and wants police to prosecute.

“I don’t think there is another ballpark where beer is served in cans,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “I think from a deterrent perspective, it’s important to follow up and make sure that he’s prosecuted to the extent available.”

Blue Jays spokesperson Erik Grossman said ejecting the alleged booze-pitcher from the game wasn’t an option — he’d already vanished by the time police arrived to investigate. Toronto Det. Pat Alberga told The Associated Press that security camera footage inside the stadium helped identify the suspect.

“We have video footage that shows it,” Alberga said.

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, the team said it would be tightening its alcohol policies, and the culprit, once identified, would be barred from the Rogers Centre in the future.

It’s not the first time that rowdy behaviour from some Jays fans has caused a stir.

Blue Jays fans tossed bottles and debris on the field during Game 5 of last year’s American League Division Series against the Rangers, upset by the call that let Rougned Odor score from third after catcher Russell Martin’s throw back to the mound deflected off Shin Soo Choo’s bat. A hurled beer narrowly missed a baby.

Following that episode, a decision was made to serve beer in plastic cups in the upper tier of the stadium for certain games.

A Blue Jays fan also threw a drink at Orioles outfielder Nate McLouth during a game at Rogers Centre in May 2013.