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AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: BLUE JAYS VS INDIANS

October 18, 2016

Marco Estrada

Toronto, Ontario - Pregame 4, Canada

Q. If you pitch tomorrow it'll be with your team season on the line. That's nothing new for you, you did that a couple of times last year. What do you take from those outings that you can carry with you tomorrow?
MARCO ESTRADA: I don't have much for you guys. It's another game. We've got to win. That's basically it. I'm going to go out and do what I've basically done all year and not really think about it as an elimination game. I'll just think about it just as another game.

My job is to try to go nine innings and give up zero runs. So it doesn't matter if it's the last game of the season, the first game, you want to do that every time out. So that's basically my thought is just to give the guys innings and try to shut out the other team.

Q. You faced this team a little over three months ago. Does that game really have any meaning when you look at film about what individual guys did or is it so long ago that it's not really relevant?
MARCO ESTRADA: The game three months ago?

Q. Correct.
MARCO ESTRADA: No, I don't really look at film, to be honest with you. But there's nothing for me to take from that game. That's actually when the whole back issue flared back up. And I might have been throwing 82, 83 miles an hour that game. So there's -- I was out there just trying to throw strikes and give the guys at least five innings that day. So there's really nothing to take from that game.

Q. Is it your full understanding you would not pitch today under any circumstances?
MARCO ESTRADA: I haven't been told anything. If they need me to I'll be ready. We have Sanchez today. He's one of our better pitchers, one of the best pitchers in the AL. So I like our chances. Hopefully they won't need me out there. Because I'd like to get a fresh game tomorrow.

Q. The Indians might not have like a ton of household names, but watching them play and how you would formulate a plan to attack them. What has made them so successful as a lineup?
MARCO ESTRADA: It's an extremely talented lineup over there. You may say that there aren't a lot of household names. I think there are. There's a lot of talent over there. Guys just put the ball in play. And they're all pretty quick. They make those little plays happen, I guess. They put a ball in play. They're running, that hard 90 to first. But it's just one through nine, just like most lineups nowadays. They're extremely talented. Obviously we're in the playoffs right now so every lineup is really good.

Yeah, I don't know, it's been really close -- it's been a close series. I know we're down 3-0 right now, but there hasn't really been a blowout, we've been neck and neck each game. I guess they've pitched a little bit better than we have, and that's basically been the outcome of this series.

Q. What's it been like for you to watch the offense struggle the way it has? There hasn't been a stretch this year, even with the up and down bats, the Jays have only scored three runs in three games. How mystifying is it to you?
MARCO ESTRADA: You know, you've got to give credit to the other team. Obviously they've pitched extremely well. Good pitching is always going to be good hitting. And when you look at our lineup, we have one of the best lineups in baseball. There isn't a weakness in that lineup. And for us to only score three runs in three games, that's saying a lot to the other team. They've pitched really well. These things happen, but hopefully we put it all together today and score a bunch of runs, because we're going to need them.

Q. You say you take the same approach whether it's April, May or October. Having been through this now for a couple of Octobers, does it feel a little different going out there? If so, do if you have that added shot of juice, how do you focus?
MARCO ESTRADA: That's what I've been saying; I treat every game the same. I don't put any extra pressure on myself. There's already enough pressure from the fans, from everybody. So I don't really -- I don't do anything. I just think about it, honestly, as another game. And I'm pretty relaxed when I'm out there. Maybe there's a little more adrenaline going, which I think has helped me out. It helps me focus a little bit more.

But in terms of thinking this could be our last game or it's a playoff game or you're got to be perfect, that's not the case. I haven't thought about it that way. I'm pretty relaxed when I'm out there. I try to keep it that way. I try to keep it simple. I don't want any extra pressure on myself. I've got to throw strikes and that's the name of the game, throw strikes, get ahead. And, like I said, my job is to try to give the guys as many innings as possible and try to shut the other team out. I don't think about anything else, to be honest with you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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