CLEVELAND -- This Toronto Blue Jays group has a chance to figure out how it will be remembered.
Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion might very well be gone after this October due to free agency. They have led a team that has made the Blue Jays very relevant again. The time for them to take that even further, though, is running short.
They have a chance to be remembered as a forever club or as a nice group, but nothing too special. That's what happens if you lose back-to-back American League Championship Series.
"Our backs are against the wall," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.
The Blue Jays' offense has been a no-show through the first 18 innings of the ALCS. They have scored a grand total of one run, making it nearly impossible to avoid a 2-0 deficit, which is where the Jays find themselves against the Indians after losing 2-1 on Saturday.
History suggests they have little chance to come all the way back. Of the 27 teams that have fallen behind 2-0 in the best-of-seven championship series, only three have advanced to the World Series.
"We'll definitely make it interesting," shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. "I promise you that."
The thing about this Blue Jays group is that the players have always seemed very confident, even before they were really good. Maybe they know the talent level in their locker room or perhaps they think they are a little better than they really are. They have potentially five games to show that it's the former and not the latter.
"Everyone in this room is confident," Josh Donaldson said.
There is reason to believe in the Blue Jays. The No. 1 factor is that they are going home for, they hope, three games.
"We get to play three at home," Donaldson said. "We feel good at home. We feel good in playing in front of our fans. They have had two to play in front of their fans."
That could be a cure for the Blue Jays, who were 11 games over .500 at Rogers Centre during the regular season. They are 2-0 so far in the playoffs at home. They believe in themselves.
"I know this group," Gibbons said.
While catcher Russell Martin pointed out how the Jays came back from a 2-0 deficit in the 2015 ALDS against Texas, Gibbons mentioned that the Jays lost the first two games of last year's ALCS against Kansas City and still took the Royals to six. But that is the trouble of being down 2-0. It is very hard to win four games before the other team takes two.
"We're a good team," Martin said. “Just because somebody gets ahead, I think we were down [2-0] against Texas last year, we ended up finding a way to win. We have been there before. I don’t think anyone is down on themselves. We got beat. We didn't get destroyed or anything."
No, but Indians reliever Andrew Miller is looming out of the pen again on Monday after the series takes a day of rest on Sunday. The Indians can choose to pitch No. 1 starter Corey Kluber in Game 4 or hold him out for Game 5. Cleveland held serve at home, which will force the Jays to do the same or be forced to come back to Progressive Field having to win two in a row to go to the Series.
The Blue Jays must start hitting. They hit just .159 in the first two games, with just 10 hits overall and only two for extra bases.
"History shows we can hit the baseball," Martin said.
It does show that. The Blue Jays might be remembered as a group that had a really good offense. But if they want to be remembered forever, they would be wise to start hitting the baseball.