Major League Baseball Update: It’s on to postseason for Estrada, Toronto Blue Jays

The following are updates on area Major League Baseball players.

Marco Estrada (Glendale Community College, 2003) Toronto Blue Jays pitcher: It’s turned out to be a breakthrough season for Estrada, who helped stabilize Toronto’s starting rotation and played a big role in the Blue Jays advancing to the postseason for the first time since 1993. Estrada, a former All-Western State Conference pick at Glendale college, won a 13 games for the Blue Jays and helped them go 93-69 to win the American League’s East Division by six games over the New York Yankees.

Estrada, a right-hander, and the Blue Jays began a divisional series Thursday against the visiting Texas Rangers with a 5-3 defeat. Estrada, who was acquired in the offseason in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, is slated to pitch game three of the best-of-five series Sunday at Texas.

Estrada, 32, finished second in the American League with a walks/hits per innings pitched of 1.04 and fifth with a 3.13 earned-run average. In Estrada’s last appearance Saturday against the host Tampa Bay Rays, he earned a no-decision after giving up two runs on three hits and struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings in Toronto’s 4-3 loss. On Sept. 28 against the Baltimore Orioles, Estrada surrendered four hits, three earned runs and struck out two in 7 1/3 innings in Toronto’s 4-3 road win. He didn’t pick up a decision.

Estrada finished 13-8, striking out 131 and walking 55 in 181 innings. He gave up 134 hits, including 22 home runs, and 67 runs (63 earned).

He pitched just once against Texas, taking a loss on the road Aug. 27, though he notched a quality start, twirling six innings, allowing one run on four hits and three walks, while striking out six.

Christian Bergman (St. Francis High, 2006) Colorado Rockies pitcher: Showing his versatility on the mound, Bergman proved he could handle the role as a spot starter or reliever. Bergman, a Glendale native and former All-Area Baseball Player of the Year, appeared in 30 games for Colorado (68-94 for last place in the National League’s West Division). He started four games, including his last three appearances.

Bergman, 27, might figure heavily into Colorado’s pitching core next season after he went 3-1 with a 4.74 earned-run average. He struck out 37 and walked 15 in 68 1/3 innings. He yielded 82 hits and 36 runs.

His last outing came Sunday against the host San Francisco Giants. The right-hander went three innings, allowing two runs on six hits. He didn’t receive a decision in Colorado’s 7-3 victory.

Bergman, the California League Pitcher of the Year in 2012 and a Texas League All-Star in 2013, spent about a month on the disabled list with right-shoulder inflammation and had a brief appearance with the triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes of the Pacific Coast League. At Albuquerque, Bergman went five innings and didn’t allow a run in two starts.

Cesar Ramos (La Crescenta resident) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher: Ramos, a left-handed reliever, and the Angels saw their bid to qualify for the postseason fall a game short. The Angels went 85-77 and took third in the American League’s West Division behind the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros. Looking to snag a wild-card berth after being eliminated from winning the division, Anaheim finished a game behind Houston.

Ramos pitched Sunday in a 9-2 road defeat against the Texas Rangers, who wrapped up the division crown. He walked both batters he faced and surrendered two runs in the seventh inning in which the Rangers scored six runs to take a 9-2 lead. Ramos threw 14 pitches, six for strikes.

The Angels needed a win and a Houston loss against the Arizona Diamondbacks to force a one-game play-in game to determine who would earn the second wild card. Instead, the Angels and Astros both dropped their respective games.

Still, it proved to be a productive first season for Ramos, 31, after being acquired during the offseason in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Ramos appeared in 65 games for the Angels, all in relief. He finished 2-1 with a 2.75 earned-run average. Ramos struck out 43, walked 15 and allowed 17 runs (16 earned) in 52 1/3 innings.

Brandon McCarthy (Glendale native) Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher: It turned out to be a frustrating first season with the Dodgers for McCarthy, a starter. The right-hander signed a four-year contract as a free agent after spending parts of the 2014 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Yankees.

McCarthy had his season cut short after he sustained a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow during a contest against the San Diego Padres on April 25.

McCarthy, 32, underwent Tommy John reconstructive surgery April 30. The recovery period might keep him out for the first half of the 2016 season.

McCarthy has spent time on the disabled list throughout his 10-year career. Though he had no previous elbow injuries, McCarthy had been on the disabled list previously 11 times.

In four appearances with the Dodgers, McCarthy went 3-0 with a 5.87 earned-run average. In 23 innings, McCarthy gave up 24 hits and 15 runs (all earned). He struck out 29 and walked four.

Los Angeles finished 92-70 and won the National League’s West Division championship for the third straight season. The Dodgers will face the New York Mets in a division series, beginning Friday at home.