The Toronto Blue Jays have set their rotation for the first four games of the upcoming American League Championship Series against the Kansas City Royals, which begins Friday at Kauffman Stadium.
Manager John Gibbons said in a press conference on Thursday that Marco Estrada would start Game 1, followed by David Price, Marcus Stroman, and R.A. Dickey, respectively.
Estrada will square off against Edinson Volquez on Friday in a battle of right-handers.
The 32-year-old Estrada last pitched in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Texas Rangers and - with the Blue Jays facing elimination - delivered a gritty performance, pitching 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits, walking none, and striking out four.
Price, 30, was used in a relief role by the Blue Jays in Game 4 after suffering through the division-series opener, allowing five earned runs over seven innings.
The left-hander has never won a postseason start in his career and will match-up against Royals flame thrower Yordano Ventura.
Stroman, the pitching hero from Wednesday's series-clinching contest against the Rangers, has been a revelation for Toronto since returning from a torn ACL that caused him to miss most of the regular season.
The emphatic youngster sported a 3.46 ERA in two ALDS starts against Texas and will take the hill opposite Johnny Cueto for Kansas City.
Lastly, the Jays have decided to send the veteran knuckle-baller Dickey to the hill for Game 4.
In the first postseason start of his career on Monday, the 40-year-old delivered 4 2/3 innings of five-hit ball, allowing one earned run, while striking out three.
Gibbons also said that he would not announce his full ALCS roster until Friday, but it should include the return of left-hander Aaron Loup, who missed the conclusion of the ALDS while dealing with personal matters.
