RHP Marco Estrada was named the Game 1 starter when the Blue Jays open the American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Indians on Friday. Manager John Gibbons made the announcement Tuesday. Estrada pitched superbly in his one outing in the AL Division Series against the Texas Rangers. He gave up one run and four hits in 8 1/3 innings as the Blue Jays won the opener of that series last Thursday.

Brian Snitker, who replaced fired Fredi Gonzalez on May 17, will remain manager of the Atlanta Braves for 2017. Snitker went 59-65 as interim manager of the Braves in 2016, but sheds that label as Atlanta moves into SunTrust Park in 2017. The Braves hold an option on his contract for 2018.Rumors began at midseason that Braves' management would replace Gonzalez with former San Diego Padres manager Bud Black, but Snitker was left standing following an interview process that included experienced managers Black and Ron Washington (Texas Rangers) and three other members of the current Braves' coaching staff. Bench coach Terry Pendleton and Eddie Perez interviewed with Hart.Snitker turns 61 next week, with his entire 40-year baseball career in the Braves' organization as a player, minor-league manager and coach and with the major-league coaching staff. --The Toronto Blue Jays have chosen right-hander Marco Estrada as their Game 1 starter when they open the American League Championship Series... [More]

The Toronto Blue Jays have chosen right-hander Marco Estrada as their Game 1 starter when they open the American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Indians on Friday.Estrada pitched superbly in his one outing in the AL Division Series against the Texas Rangers. He gave up one run and four hits in 8 1/3 innings as the Blue Jays won the opener of that series last Thursday.Estrada is 3-1 with a 2.67 ERA in eight career postseason appearances, including four starts."You look back the last couple of years at how good Marco has been in big games for us," Toronto manager John Gibbons said on Tuesday. "He's one guy, too, that probably needs more than anybody to keep on as close to normal (rest) as possible, not too much time off."Gibbons indicated that right-hander Aaron Sanchez will likely start just once in the series as the club continues to monitor the 24-year-old's innings count.

RHP Marco Estrada now has the lowest postseason ERA by any Toronto starter with a minimum of 20 innings pitched. Estrada's ERA is 1.95, which is nearly a half of a run better than Juan Guzman (2.44).

RHP Marco Estrada became just the third pitcher in Toronto postseason history to pitch at least eight innings and allow one run or fewer. His 8 1/3-inning outing was the longest start by a Toronto pitcher in postseason history. Estrada gave up four hits, struck out six and didn't walk a batter. "I feel just overall being able to locate the fastball, throwing first-pitch strikes was big," he said. "I guess I really didn't have to go to my changeup too much. I kind of hung a few, to be honest with you. I was getting a lot of swings and misses on (the changeup)."

RHP Marco Estrada labored through five innings on Friday, throwing 108 pitches, but left with the lead before his bullpen failed to hold on, thus ending his season at 9-9. He gave up a run in the first inning but that was it. He has worked 19 innings over his last three starts, going 2-0 and allowing two earned runs on nine hits -- and limiting opposing hitters to a .132 batting average. He went 2-2 with a 3.18 ERA in five starts against the Red Sox this season.

RHP Marco Estrada will be trying to help the Blue Jays return to sole possession the first wild-card spot on Friday when he pitches the opener of a three-game series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The Blue Jays are currently tied with the Orioles. Estrada did not factor in the decision Sunday when he allowed four hits and one run with seven strikeouts over seven innings against the Yankees, a game the Blue Jays won 4-3. He is 1-3 in five starts in September with a 4.39 ERA. In four starts this season against Boston, he is 2-2 with a 3.47 ERA. In nine career games vs. the Red Sox, including seven starts, he is 4-4 with a 4.15 ERA. In six career games (four starts) at Fenway Park, he is 3-2 with a 4.76 ERA.

RHP Marco Estrada has allowed one run in his past 14 innings, including one in seven innings in his no-decision start on Sunday.

RHP Marco Estrada had his string of 13 scoreless innings ended in the seventh inning Sunday when Yankees SS Didi Gregorius led off with a home run. Estrada did not factor in the decision after allowing four hits, two walks and one run while striking out seven in seven innings. He has allowed three or fewer runs in 22 of his 28 starts this season. He has allowed five or fewer hits in 21 starts this season.

RHP Marco Estrada, who starts the third contest of the four-game series against the New York Yankees on Sunday, ended a three-game losing streak Monday when he held the Seattle Mariners to one hit, three walks and no runs in seven innings. He had eight strikeouts in the 3-2 victory. It was his first win since Aug. 29. In four starts in September, he is 1-3 with a 5.49 ERA. Estrada is 2-0, 3.79 in three starts against the Yankees this season and 3-2, 4.09 in nine career games, including eight starts, against them.

RHP Marco Estrada threw six innings of no-hit ball Monday before allowing a leadoff single in the seventh. He recovered to get through seven innings, allowing only the one hit in a 3-2 win over Seattle. "You know it's there, but I don't think about it," Estrada said of the no-hit bid. "Whatever happens happens."

RHP Marco Estrada struck out the first five batters of the game, a franchise record, on Wednesday in the Jays' 8-1 loss to the Rays. He struck six of his first nine hitters and had seven for the game as he allowed four hits, three walks and four runs in 5 1/3 innings. He has lost three starts in a row for the first time since May 5-22, 2015. "It's unreal the way this game works out," Estrada said. "I felt really good, thought I made really good pitches, even the home run (to Kevin Kiermaier), I thought it was a pop fly and it kept going."

RHP Marco Estrada will try to win for the first time in three starts in September when he starts against the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre on Wednesday. He is 0-2 with a 9.82 ERA in two starts in September. His last win was Aug. 29 against the Baltimore Orioles. He is 0-2 with a 6.30 ERA in two starts against the Rays this season. He allowed seven hits and five runs in five-plus innings at Tropicana Field on Sept. 3. He is 1-3 with a 2.18 ERA in nine career games, including five starts, against Tampa Bay.

RHP Marco Estrada allowed six hits, three walks and four runs (three earned) in 2 1/3 innings Friday in the 13-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox. It was his shortest start since June 30, 2015, also against Boston. He threw 77 pitches (38 strikes), the first time in his two years with the Blue Jays that he has thrown more balls than strikes.

RHP Marco Estrada took his first road loss since April, cruising through five innings with two hits and no runs, then hitting a wall in the sixth. He gave up five runs and five hits in the sixth, including a three-run double off the wall by Rays SS Matt Duffy.

RHP Marco Estrada found his way again. Estrada struggled in his last two starts but located his change-up much better in this game, keeping the Orioles off-balance and giving up one run on four hits in seven innings plus one batter and getting the win. "I was able to locate a little better," Estrada said. "I had a little better feel for my change-up today. If I can locate a change-up, it's probably going to go pretty well for me."

RHP Marco Estrada will start the opener of the three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles Monday at Camden after a couple of difficult starts. He is 0-1 with an 11.00 ERA in his past two starts in which he allowed five home runs in nine innings. In nine career games against the Orioles, including seven starts, he is 3-1 with a 3.53 ERA. This season, he is 1-0 with a 3.71 ERA in three starts against the Orioles.

RHP Marco Estrada will make his 22nd start of the season Wednesday when he faces the Los Angeles Angels in the middle game of a three-game series at Rogers Centre. Estrada allowed five hits, including three home runs, and five runs in four innings Aug. 16 against the New York Yankees and did not return after a rain delay. He did not factor in the decision when the Blue Jays came back to win 12-8. Estrada is 3-0 with a 2.05 ERA in eight starts on four days' rest this season, is 2-4 with a 3.97 ERA in nine starts on five days' rest, 2-4, 3.97 ERA on five days' rest and 2-1 with a 3.91 ERA in four starts with six or more days of rest. In two career starts against the Angels, he is 1-0 with a 4.97 ERA.

RHP Marco Estrada did return after a 41-minute rain delay following the top of the fifth inning. He allowed five runs and five hits in four innings. He gave up three home runs in a game for the sixth time in his career. Both instances with the Blue Jays have been in New York.

RHP Marco Estrada will make his 20th start of the season Tuesday and 13th on five days' rest when he faces the Yankees. Estrada labored through five innings last Tuesday during a 9-2 loss to Tampa Bay in which he threw 113 pitches. Estrada has done well on the road, going 4-0 with a 2.85 ERA in his last eight road starts since losing in Boston on April 16. Since joining the Blue Jays, he is 3-2 with a 3.97 ERA in seven starts against the Yankees. This year, he held them to seven hits in 50 at-bats (.140) in two starts on May 25 in New York and May 30 in Toronto.