Major League Baseball Update: Estrada nearly perfect on mound for Toronto Blue Jays

The following are updates on area Major League Baseball players.

Marco Estrada (Glendale Community College, 2003) Toronto Blue Jays pitcher: Estrada is enjoying one of the best stretches of his career, which included flirting with a perfect game in his most recent outing Wednesday.

The right-hander saw his attempt for perfection fall by the wayside when Logan Forsythe of the Tampa Bay Rays had an infield single with one out in the eighth inning. Toronto won the game, 1-0, on a home run by Chris Colabello in the 12th.

Estrada also had a no-hit bid into the eighth inning in his previous appearance June 19 against the visiting Baltimore Orioles.

On Wednesday, Estrada, a former All-Western State Conference selection with the Vaqueros before transferring to Long Beach State, allowed two hits, struck out 10 and made a career-high 129 pitches in 8 2/3 innings before leaving to a nice ovation from the crowd of 18,469.

Shortly before Forsythe broke up Estrada’s bid for a perfect game and a no-hitter, Toronto third baseman Josh Donaldson made a diving catch in the stands on a foul ball by David DeJesus. Forsythe then beat out a slow roller to third that Donaldson tried to field barehanded. Forsythe just beat out the play, which was reviewed briefly before being upheld.

“It was a little frustrating just because it wasn’t hit very hard,” Estrada told the Associated Press. “The guy can run a little bit, so he beat it out.”

Kevin Kiermaier had the other hit for the Rays against Estrada, a two-out double in the ninth that led to Estrada’s departure.

“The ninth inning, I gave up a hard-hit ball to Kiermaier. That made it a little better,” said Estrada, who was acquired in the offseason in a trade from the Milwaukee Brewers. “Easier to forget about.”

Toronto Manager John Gibbons praised Estrada’s performance.

“He’s been on some kind of roll,” Blue Jays Manager John Gibbons said.

Estrada, who is 4-0 in June with one more start in the month slated for Tuesday against the visiting Boston Red Sox, became the first pitcher in the major leagues to have a no-hitter in tact entering the eighth inning in consecutive appearances since Toronto’s Dave Stieb in 1988.

Against Baltimore, Estrada, 31, ended allowing one hit in Toronto’s 5-4 victory. Leading off, pinch-hitter Jimmy Paredes broke up Estrada’s no-hit bid with a single to left and ended Estrada’s streak of retiring 16 consecutive batters. Estrada was then taken out after tossing 118 pitches.

“I wanted to keep going,” said Estrada, who allowed one run and struck out six. “If I had to throw 200 pitches today, I would have.”

Through Wednesday, Estrada is 5-3 with a 3.45 earned-run average. In 16 appearances — 10 starts — he’s struck out 63 and walked 23. In 73 innings, Estrada has yielded 30 runs (28 earned) and 57 hits.

Toronto is 39-35 and in fourth place in the American League’s East Division heading into Friday.

Christian Bergman (St. Francis High, 2006) Colorado Rockies pitcher: After beginning the season with the Rockies, Bergman was sent down to the triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes of the Pacific Coast League and made one appearance before receiving the call to rejoin Colorado on June 18.

At Albuquerque, Bergman got the starting nod. The former All-Area Baseball Player of the Year tossed three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out four against the El Paso Chihuahuas on June 15.

Since coming back to Colorado (32-40 and last place in the National League’s West Division), Bergman has made four relief appearances.

His latest trip to the mound came Thursday against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks. The right-hander came on in relief with runners on first and second and allowed an inherited runner to score in the fifth inning.

In the sixth, he allowed a run-scoring double by AJ Pollock that gave the Diamondbacks a 2-1 lead. Colorado scored five runs in the eighth en route to a 6-4 win. Bergman went two innings, allowing three hits and striking out two.

On Wednesday against Arizona, Bergman got one out and didn’t factor into the decision in Colorado’s 8-7 defeat.

Through Thursday, Bergman is 2-0 with a 4.66 earned-run average with the Rockies. In 36 2/3 innings, he’s struck out 24, walked eight and allowed 19 runs (all earned).

Cesar Ramos (La Crescenta resident), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher: Ramos, a reliever, has made three appearances since June 18 for the Angels (37-36 for third place in the American League’s West Division through Wednesday).

The left-hander last pitched Tuesday against the visiting Houston Astros, who are in first place in the AL West. Ramos, who turned 31 on Monday, tossed a pair of scoreless innings in a 13-3 defeat. He allowed one hit and made 20 pitches, 16 for strikes.

Ramos went 1 1/3 innings Saturday in the Angels’ 4-1 road defeat against the Oakland Athletics. The left-handed specialist struck out one, walked two and allowed two hits.

On June 19, Ramos, a Long Beach State product, tossed a scoreless inning in the Angels’ 12-7 come-from-behind victory.

Through Wednesday, Ramos is 2-0 with a 2.01 earned-run average. He’s struck out 16 and walked five in 22 1/3 innings. Ramos, who was acquired during the offseason in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, has allowed five runs (all earned) and 21 hits in 29 appearances.