Marco Estrada and Joe Biagini bumped fists and gave each other a backslapping bro-hug.
“We’ll do it again next year,” Estrada told the reliever, solemnly, in the Toronto Blue Jays clubhouse shortly after losing the ALCS to Cleveland in five games.
Next year, though, was a long way from Estrada’s mind. He’d just pitched six innings—giving up three runs, but racking up seven strikeouts. He hadn’t wanted to come out, and told Jays pitching coach Pete Walker that much when he was pulled before the seventh.
“No way,” Estrada said. “I’m just getting started.”
He’d done his job and he’d done it well—just as he had in Game 1, when he pitched six innings of shutout ball. But in both games with Estrada on the mound, the Blue Jays didn’t score. A year earlier the Kansas City Royals had blanked the Jays with Estrada on the mound as well.
So he walked through the clubhouse after the game in near disbelief, giving sad-hugs to teammates and talking about next year, while consumed by thoughts of what could have been.
“We had the upper hand,” Estrada said when reporters finally cornered him. “They were missing a few of their guys. They did a hell of a job. Their bullpen—my goodness. They killed it.”
Led by reliever Andrew Miller, the ALCS MVP, Cleveland’s pitchers—starters and bullpen both—shut down the Jays’ bats. But the best rotation in the American League carried Toronto to its second straight appearance in baseball’s final four. And in five games against Cleveland, the Jays gave up only 12 runs.
That accomplishment felt like cold comfort on Wednesday night, but it’s central to the future of this team. Estrada, J.A. Happ, Aaron Sanchez and Marcus Stroman will be back do it all again next season. Francisco Liriano will be there, too. R.A. Dickey is the only piece of the rotation that won’t be returning.
It’s a pitching core to rival any team in the majors.
“Our pitching was the reason [we were successful] this year,” said Russell Martin, who catches them all. “Last year it was more offensive. This year was definitely pitching and defense that got us to where we got. And the fact that we get to keep those guys—that’s encouraging.”
For his part, Estrada felt “out of whack” through the first four innings of the must-win Game 5. Cleveland took advantage. Mike Napoli drove in Francisco Lindor with a double in the first. Carlos Santana hit a solo shot in the third, and Coco Crisp followed up with one of his own in the fourth. But in between, Estrada was his usual, steady self. The loss couldn’t be pinned to him.
“He always keeps you in the game,” Martin said of Estrada. “There were a ton of starts where if we don’t win the game and he was pitching, we were right in there. That’s the beauty of him. Anytime he’s out there he’s going to give you a shot to win you the game.”
But once again, the Jays couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity provided by its starting pitching.
“It’s hard to win when there are no runs on the board,” Estrada said. “But I should have done a better job and not given up any runs, I guess.”
Standing by his stall as the clubhouse emptied out, Estrada just shook his head and clung to what could have been.
“This team,” he said, and paused. “We should still be playing.”