TORONTO — Brian Roberts, an analyst for Mid-Atlantic Sports Network who spent most of his playing career with the Orioles, apologized on air Sunday for an offhand comment made in Friday’s broadcast that rankled fans in Toronto.

After a pickoff throw to first in the eighth inning of Baltimore’s loss Friday, fans at Rogers Centre booed, which is a common reaction in all 30 major league ballparks. MASN play-by-play announcer Kevin Brown said he wondered why fans in general booed pickoff moves.

Roberts agreed, then took the sentiment a moderate step forward.

“I’ve got to be real, real, real careful what I say,” Roberts said Friday. “But sometimes we had some major questions about the baseball IQ of some Canadians. At times it felt like maybe they enjoyed or knew a little bit more about hockey than baseball.”

Brown followed up: “You’ve got to be really careful. I’d shut that down now, if I were you.”

The blowback comes as something of a surprise, given the mild nature of the comment, but it was fierce. In a column from The Toronto Star, Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement fired back at Roberts, who played 13 years for Baltimore and finished his career with the New York Yankees, another American League East rival of the Blue Jays.

“He played in this division and played against this team for a long time, and it’s a shame that’s how he feels,” Clement said. “The more I play here and the more I get to know the people in Toronto, the more I gain a respect for what they know about baseball.

“We get 40,000 a night here. I mean, they probably get 5,000 a night, so it makes sense that you’d be a little salty about that.”

Added Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to The Star: “They understand baseball, and they’re the best fans in the world.”

Clement’s count was off on both sides, but more so for the Orioles at Camden Yards. Toronto averages 34,547 fans per game, entering Sunday. Baltimore averages 22,357.

The blowback continued on social media and prompted Roberts to apologize Sunday.

“I do want to apologize to Toronto fans for something I said on the air the other day,” he said at the beginning of the fifth inning. “I definitely never, ever meant to cause anyone to feel I was disrespecting them at all. I have always enjoyed coming to Toronto. I’ve always enjoyed playing here. I told you that when we first got here. I hope that they will accept my sincere apology for what I said on the air the other day.”

After a beat, Brown quipped: “That’s a good way for you to announce your candidacy as prime minister of Canada coming up.” But Brown continued by agreeing that Toronto is one of his favorite road trips, and “when the Blue Jays are fun, this is one of those places that makes Major League Baseball fun.”

Toronto leads the American League East and is poised for a place in the postseason.