MLB Notes: Indians, Jays meet in ALCS after ‘quirky’ games in season

There wasn’t a bench-clearing brawl. That is about the only thing that didn’t happen during seven tense, theatric and highly entertaining regular-season games between the Toronto Blue Jays and Indians, who will renew acquaintances when the ALCS opens on Thursday night at Progressive Field.

If October’s drama is anything close to what it was like between the clubs in July and August, buckle up. Their previous matchups included a 19-inning marathon on July 1 in Toronto and a walk-off Indians win on Aug. 19 on back-to-back homers in the ninth inning, the second an inside-the-park shot that turned rookie Tyler Naquin into a local legend.

“I was watching on TV,” said Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista, who was rehabbing a sprained left knee in Florida and missed Toronto’s series in Cleveland. “There were some games that were obviously close that had some quirky plays in them.”

The Indians, who swept Boston in the ALDS after a season filled with injuries, start Corey Kluber in Game 1 against Toronto’s Marco Estrada.

Kluber was magnificent in his postseason debut, holding the Red Sox to three hits in seven shutout innings in Game 2 of the ALDS. The right-hander, who injured a quadriceps late in the season, will have to be on his game against the Blue Jays, who hit eight home runs in their sweep of Texas and feature a lineup with danger from top to bottom.

“They’re a solid lineup, one through nine,” said Kluber, tagged for five runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings against Toronto on July 3. “It’s not just two, three, four guys that can hurt you. Everybody in that lineup can hurt you. They have a lot of power, but they’re also patient. You have to go out there and execute pitches. There’s not really a magic formula. Just like what we asked about with Boston, it’s not a magic formula, they’re just a really good offense. We all have our work cut out for us.”

The Blue Jays have been in playoff mode for weeks. They battled their way to a wild-card berth and beat Baltimore in the one-game playoff, riding a sonic wave from their rambunctious home crowd and three-run homer from Edwin Encarnacion into a matchup with the Rangers, the team they traded punches with earlier in the season and knocked out with a flurry of long balls to advance to the ALCS.

Now, they’ll square off with the Indians, a team that may lack marquee names but not confidence.

“They have their strengths and weaknesses,” Jose Bautista said. “And so do we. As long as everybody executes and excels at what they’re good at, it’s going to be a tough series for either opponent to come out on top. We’ll see what happens. They’re a speed-and-base-hit club and we’re a walk-and-home-run club. It’s going to be a pretty good series, I believe.”

Cubs to start Lester in NLCS Game 1

Jon Lester is all set for Game 1 of the NLCS on Saturday night. The rest of the Chicago Cubs’ rotation depends on the health of Kyle Hendricks. Hendricks left Game 2 of the Division Series against San Francisco when a comebacker went off his right forearm in the fourth inning. He had a bullpen session Thursday, and the Cubs are waiting to see how he feels before confirming the major league ERA leader for Game 2 on Sunday night.

“Just find out where Kyle is. Just making sure that he’s healthy,” manager Joe Maddon said. “He threw today. You always wait a little bit to find out if there’s any after-effect of that and then you make your determination. But that’s about it, just health.”

Hendricks is coming off a breakout season, going 16-8 with a 2.13 ERA this year that included a 9-2 record and 1.32 ERA in 15 home games. Assuming Hendricks comes through the bullpen session just fine, he likely would be followed by Jake Arrieta in Game 3 and then John Lackey.

The four playoff starters combined for 64 of Chicago’s major league-leading 103 wins this season, and it sounds as if the Cubs feel they will be OK no matter how it shakes out. “I have a lot of faith in our guys. They’ve been doing it all year,” Maddon said on a brisk day at Wrigley Field. “They’re absolutely rested going into this moment, so I feel very strongly about our starting pitching.”

Chicago was nearly pushed to a decisive Game 5 by San Francisco, but the Cubs rallied for four runs in the ninth inning of their series-clinching 6-5 victory on Tuesday night. Asked how much he had watched that ninth inning, a chuckling Hoyer responded “a lot.”

The Cubs also made it to the NLCS last year and then managed just eight runs and 21 hits in a sweep by the New York Mets. But they are hoping momentum from the rally against the Giants, their experience from last year and home-field advantage will lead to a different result this time around.

“I do have a lot of faith in our guys,” Maddon said. “I’d like to believe that just getting to this next moment might chill everybody out even a little bit more.”

Braves closer Jim Johnson gets 2-year deal

Atlanta Braves closer Jim Johnson is guaranteed $10 million under his new two-year contract. The 33-year-old right-hander went 2-6 with a 3.06 ERA this year and 20 saves in 23 chances. He had been eligible for free agency.

Johnson gets a $1 million signing bonus and salaries of $4.5 million in each of the next two seasons. He can earn an additional $1.75 million annually in performance bonuses based on games finished: $250,000 for 30 and each additional five through 60. His contract was announced on the final day of the regular season and was subject to a physical, which took place this week.

Red Sox Pedroia has knee surgery

Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia has had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Boston said Wednesday the procedure, a partial medial meniscectomy and chondroplasty, was successful and he is expected to be ready for spring training.

Pedroia batted .318 this season – his highest since winning the A.L. MVP in 2008 – and added 15 homers and 74 RBIs. The Red Sox were swept in the AL Division Series by the Cleveland Indians.

Giants ready to talk new contract with Bumgarner

The Giants want to make sure Madison Bumgarner never goes elsewhere.

San Francisco general manager Bobby Evans spoke with Bumgarner and reached out to the ace left-hander’s representatives to let them all know the Giants are ready to begin discussions on a new contract whenever they are. Bumgarner signed a $35.56 million, six-year deal through 2017 that includes $12 million club options for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

“We want to make sure Madison is here for the long haul,” Evans said Thursday. “We’ll certainly be available when they’re ready to talk. We continue to exchange volleys. We’re ready when they’re ready. I’ve even talked to Madison. We’re very clear.”

The 27-year-old left-hander 15-9 with a 2.74 ERA this season. Two years ago, his spectacular postseason instantly put him right up with the best ever in October. He tossed 270 innings, including 21 with two wins and a save in a World Series that went to Game 7 against the Royals.

“His value to the Giants, it’s sort of incalculable,” CEO Larry Baer said, noting he’s already fielding questions about when the pitcher will get a statue. “He’s been a tremendous asset for us. He’s done historic things.”

Nats’ Strasburg won’t be available for NLCS

Injured Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg would not be able to pitch in the NLCS if Washington were to advance.

“We know he’s not going to be ready for the next series. You know, he’s progressing as well as we’d like. It’s never as fast as you’d like,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said Thursday before his club hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers in a win-or-go-home Game 5 of their NLDS.

“But again, he won’t be available for the next series,” Baker continued. “It would be a miracle if he was.” That doesn’t really come as a surprise, given that Strasburg has been sidelined since hurting his pitching elbow in early September and cut short a bullpen session Tuesday.