OAKLAND -- The frustration and disappointment from yet another lopsided loss appeared to extend into the Blue Jays' clubhouse on Monday night and resulted in a closed-door team meeting.
Reporters are typically allowed to enter the clubhouse approximately 10 minutes after last pitch but following the Blue Jays' 10-1 loss to Oakland the doors remained close for approximately 40 minutes. No players were seen entering or leaving during that time and later right-hander Marco Estrada admitted some issues were dealt with inside those walls.
"Yeah, we had a little meeting and what was said was between us," Estrada said. "It was a good meeting. It was constructive and just positive. I really like what was said. I think we'll be in a better mood now that we got a lot of things off our chest. A lot of positive things were said. That's all I'll say about that."
Toronto was already losing 4-0 when things out of hand during a six-run eighth inning. It was the third time in five games that the Blue Jays allowed at least six runs in an inning and it led to the Blue Jays' fifth loss over their last seven games. Lefty Jaime Garcia allowed the six runs, but he didn't get much help in the field either as Teoscar Hernandez dropped a routine fly ball for the second time in less than a week.

The Blue Jays' offense wasn't any better and was held in check by A's starter Edwin Jackson, who allowed three hits and three walks while striking out five over 5 2/3 innings. The same could be said for Toronto's performance against Oakland's bullpen as the Blue Jays finished the night 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position while leaving nine men on base. The Blue Jays dropped to 2-2 on their current 10-game road trip.
The frustration likely has been building for a long time. The Blue Jays entered this season with hopes of competing for the second Wild Card spot in the American League, but instead they find themselves with a 48-57 record. Toronto trails AL East-leading Boston by 25 1/2 games, which is the club's largest deficit since the end of the 2009 season.
"I think it was a situation where over the course of 162 games … being together since February, there are times when you get together and chat a little bit and communicate," Blue Jays outfielder Curtis Granderson said. "Nothing specific, just talk a little bit. Everything is always go, go, go. Finish the game, get the family, get on the bus and do it all over again because we always play every day. So sometimes take a little bit of time and having some of the guys around here today gave us an opportunity to do that."
Oakland opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning when Mark Canha hit a solo homer to left-center field for his 14th of the season. Khris Davis added a sacrifice fly in the third and Nick Martini had an RBI double as part of the A's two-run fourth. That was the end of the road for Estrada as Blue Jays manager John Gibbons turned it over to the bullpen while Estrada later saw his record fall to 4-8.

One thing that is undeniably adding at least a little bit of stress to the Blue Jays' clubhouse is today's 4 p.m. ET non-waiver Trade Deadline. Toronto has already made three trades and more could be coming as players such as Granderson, John Axford, Aaron Loup, Tyler Clippard and others have been frequently mentioned in rumors.
"We played a couple of pretty good games in Chicago," Gibbons said. "We coughed one up but we played a couple of pretty good ones. Everybody is kind of anxious. Nobody knows. There are some guys in that room rumored. That's never easy but 1 o'clock tomorrow everybody will find out."
SOUND SMART
The Blue Jays have lost all five games against the A's this season and have been outscored 37-13 over that span.
HE SAID IT
"It's getting better every day. Everything I'm dealing with. It's all getting better. Soon enough I'll be back to normal and be able to go deeper into games. It was my first outing in almost a month. I haven't seen any Major League hitters and even the rehab start I had got cut short. It was tough. It felt a little awkward out there dealing with little things. But I definitely gave it my all and it was nice to be back out there again." -- Estrada, on his first start since coming off the 10-day DL with a glute issue
UP NEXT
Right-hander Sam Gaviglio (2-3, 4.65 ERA) will take the mound when the Blue Jays continue their three-game series against the A's on Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum with first pitch scheduled for 10:05 p.m. ET. Gaviglio has tossed more than five innings just once in his past five starts. His job is safe now that the Blue Jays have traded J.A. Happ, but he'll need to start pitching deeper into games if he wants to become a long-term option for the club. Oakland will counter with right-hander Trevor Cahill (2-2, 3.43).