Blue Jays set for 'tough task' of facing Cleveland in ALCS

Many expect the Cleveland Indians-Toronto Blue Jays playoff matchup to yield results similar to those produced during the regular season, an often nail-biting, seven-game series that featured four contests with a one-run margin of victory.

It's hard to argue, considering each squad will carry a six-game winning streak into Friday's opener of the best-of-seven American League Championship Series at Cleveland's Progressive Field (8:08 p.m. ET).

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"We're so evenly matched, it's unbelievable," Cleveland pitching coach Mickey Callaway told reporters this week. "This is going to be probably the best series that you're going to see all post-season, as far as the way we match up against each other."

Both offences have built momentum since late September and the bullpens were effective in their respective AL Division Series. While the Indians might hold a slight edge in pitching with the 1-2 punch of Andrew Miller and Cody Allen, the Blue Jays are widely considered to have the deeper starting staff, thanks to the playoff absences of Carlos Carrasco (broken hand) and Danny Salazar (forearm strain), two of Cleveland's top hurlers.

Ace Corey Kluber, who shook off the effects of a mild quadriceps strain with seven shutout innings to earn the win in Game 2 of a three-game sweep of Boston in the ALDS, opposes fellow right-hander Marco Estrada on Friday. Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin and starter-turned reliever Mike Clevinger follow in Games 2-4, while Toronto will send J.A. Happ to the mound Saturday (4:08 p.m.) followed by Marcus Stroman in Game 3 on Monday (8:08 p.m.) and Aaron Sanchez in Tuesday's Game 4 at 4:08 p.m.

Bauer and Tomlin had earned-run averages above 5.00 in the second half of the season, but combined with Kluber for a 2.70 mark in 16 2/3 innings in the ALDS.

Such a low innings total means Cleveland manager Terry Francona isn't afraid to call on Miller as early as the fifth or sixth inning. The former New York Yankees closer was dominant in a non-traditional role after being acquired in a July 31 trade.

Miller in Cleveland

With Cleveland, Miller only finished seven games in 26 appearances, sporting a 1.55 ERA and 46 strikeouts against two walks over 29 innings. The team led the AL this season with seven games that featured eight or more pitchers, while 18 of Cleveland's 30 games this season that included the starter leaving after four or fewer innings came in the final two months of the season.

"His ability to throw multiple innings is definitely a challenge," said Jays centre-fielder Kevin Pillar of Miller. "He's talented, but he's a guy that everyone on this team has faced and we know what to expect from him."

Cleveland's bullpen, which finished second to Kansas City in ERA at 3.45 in the regular campaign, had a 1-0 record, two saves by Allen and 1.74 ERA in the ALDS. Dan Otero (team-leading 1.53 ERA in regular season) and Bryan Shaw (75 games, 3.24 ERA) also came up big.

Toronto's bullpen has also shone in the playoffs with a 1.29 ERA through the wild-card win over Baltimore and three-game sweep of Texas in the ALDS, compiling 12 strikeouts and just three walks in 14 innings.

However, the Jays bullpen could be tested this series as Cleveland boasts many switch-hitters. Left-handed setup man Brett Cecil has allowed a .799 on-base-plus slugging percentage to right-handed hitters while lefties hit right-hander Jason Grilli at an .877 clip.

Jays offence hot

Enter a vaunted Blue Jays' offence that could alleviate a lot of pressure in the series if it can carry over a strong effort from the ALDS. Not only did Toronto overcome its season-long struggle of driving in runners from second and third base with a .417 batting average and 11 runs batted in during such situations, it set an LDS record with eight home runs in three games.

Aside from Kluber, Cleveland doesn't possess a right-handed power arm in its rotation that could neutralize a potent Jays offence over seven innings on a consistent basis. Toronto scored 22 runs against Texas after averaging 3.7 runs per game in September and early October.

"We're pitching well and we're playing good defence, and right now we've been able to hit the homer. And that's big," Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson said shortly after diving across home plate with the winning run in Game 3 versus Texas.

Cleveland's offence, led by sluggers Mike Napoli and Carlos Santana (34 home runs apiece) and .300 hitters Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez, can beat teams in other ways by advancing runners into scoring position and tearing up the base paths.

Former Blue Jays outfielder Rajai Davis topped the AL with 43 steals, and as a team Cleveland led the league with 134 thefts and 81.2 per cent success rate. The ability of Toronto's pitchers to disrupt the timing of opposing base runners will be paramount, as will the arm of veteran catcher Russell Martin, who threw out just 15 per cent of attempted base stealers this season after leading all AL backstops last year at 44 per cent.

"It's going to be a crazy series," said Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis, who expects to be in the Game 1 starting lineup after missing the last two games of the ALDS with a knee injury. "They [Indians] can do it all really."

That includes a 53-28 mark at home, one shy of the franchise record, set in 1995, and 37 come-from-behind wins in the regular season.

"We're going to have a tough task at hand," Donaldson said, "but I feel like we have a team that can do that."