4 reasons why the Blue Jays can still win the ALCS

There's no denying the Toronto Blue Jays find themselves in a pickle. Although they were given a pair of stellar performances by starters Marco Estrada and J.A. Happ in Games 1 and 2, the Blue Jays are returning to Canada down 2-0 in the ALCS to the Cleveland Indians.

While they may be facing an uphill battle, there shouldn't be any reason to give these Blue Jays their last rites just yet. Winning the ALCS after dropping the first two games has also been done before, albeit just three times since 1969, so it's not as though Toronto's heading into uncharted waters. There's also the fact the Blue Jays possess an incredibly talented team that faced this deficit twice in 2015 and responded with authority both times.

They'll have to start doing it Monday night, of course, but with the next three games at home and some favorable matchups coming, there shouldn't be any reason to believe this series is over.

Here are four reasons why the Blue Jays can still come back and win this ALCS:

Elite rotation

Cleveland already saw how deadly this rotation can be after beating Estrada and Happ despite putting up just four runs and 10 hits combined in the opening two games. Now they head to Toronto and face two of the Blue Jays' best. Game 3 starter Marcus Stroman lives for the big stage, and gave manager John Gibbons an impressive six innings in the AL wild-card game; he also threw six stellar innings in Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS. In Game 4, the league's ERA leader, Aaron Sanchez, will get the ball, and he's no stranger to pressure situations himself. The 24-year-old has displayed remarkable poise on the mound during his breakout season, and will be a very tough battle for Cleveland's hitters when he takes the ball. Should the Blue Jays tie the series up, Estrada's waiting in the wings for Game 5 - and that should be a troubling thought for the Indians.

Cleveland's bullpen fatigue

Andrew Miller's been an absolute beast for the Indians in the playoffs, and he's not showing any signs of fatigue just yet. But Terry Francona has to be mindful of how each of his key bullpen pieces - Miller, Cody Allen, and Bryan Shaw - are doing given Cleveland's shortage of starters. Trevor Bauer did what he had to do in Game 1 of the ALDS, but he still didn't get through five innings; now, he's being trusted with a crucial start on the road in a hostile environment. Following him, it could get messy, as the Indians might go with rookie Mike Clevinger and other relievers for Game 4 should Corey Kluber not be able to take the mound on short rest. If the Blue Jays can jump on Bauer early in Game 3 and tire out the bullpen, a major door could be opened for Toronto.

The bats waking up

The Blue Jays' bats looked like they came out of that September rut during the division series, but Cleveland's pitching made them look silly again in the first two games. Still, with Bauer in Game 3 and a possible bullpen day following, it's lining up perfectly for the dangerous Blue Jays bats to get their groove back. Josh Donaldson's hit well over the first two games - he's 3-for-8 with an RBI double - as has Edwin Encarnacion, who's 2-for-7 and has hit some very hard line drives. In last year's ALCS, returning home sparked the bats in Game 3, as they exploded for 11 runs against Kansas City and a clearly rattled Johnny Cueto; this year, those favorable pitching matchups, and a little home cooking, could help them figure it out again.

Home crowd advantage

Rogers Centre gets insanely loud when the dome is open. The dome will likely be closed for Monday's Game 3 - and when Rogers Centre's dome is closed, the noise reaches eardrum-splitting decibels. Toronto fans are quickly developing a reputation for creating a wild and intimidating atmosphere that can throw unprepared visitors completely off their games. Mike Napoli and Chris Gimenez are two Indians players who can try to prepare teammates for what to expect - both were members of the Rangers in 2015, and were part of the infamous seventh inning in Game 5 - but it might not help. Blue Jays fans will be ready to make Rogers Centre shake when their boys do good, while making Bauer and any other Cleveland pitcher feel painfully uncomfortable on the mound. If the Indians aren't careful, the crowd's 10th man effect could play a huge role in determining how this series plays out.