Rays rough up Happ, weary Jays
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. • When handed the ball every five days, J.A. Happ was the calming force that kept the Toronto Blue Jays rotation on its axis through the first 32 games of the season.
But on a night with weary arms and sleepy bats, Happ had his worst outing in almost a month in the Jays’ 6-2 loss to the Tampa Rays at Tropicana Field on Friday night.
A fastball that had been in control and on the money in his two previous starts abandoned Happ at times, leading to a season-high pitch count of 108 and his first lost since opening day.
Happ only allowed four hits and three runs, but four walks were his undoing as he left with two out in the fifth and the bases loaded. This after not yielding a walk in each of his two previous starts.
Though Happ has been the most reliable of manager John Gibbons’ five-man group, the struggles of the rotation have been an issue. Entering Friday’s play, the ERA from Toronto starters was an elevated 5.61 or 29th among the 30 teams in the majors.
“We need to get on a roll and get them all to run through there a couple of times in a row,” Gibbons said of the rotation. “But they will. They’re too good.
“They’re fully capable. They’ve done it a number of times. It’s just a matter of sometimes the way the game works.”
The Jays were certainly hoping for stability from Happ after dodgy outings from Jaime Garcia and Joe Biagini in Thursday’s doubleheader in Cleveland.
That odyssey certainly sucked some energy of a team that is in the midst of a sevenday, eight- game road trip. The Jays didn’t arrive at their St. Pete hotel until shortly before 5 a.m. Friday.
With the loss, Happ fell to 4-2 and was held to just three strikeouts after fanning 10 in his last outing and nine in the one before that.
The offence was for the most part dormant, no doubt weary from an exhausting Thursday. But the Trop remained a house of horrors for the Jays, who are 72-105 all time at the dingy dome.
Aaron Sanchez will attempt to get it back on track in the second of the threegame series Saturday at 6: 10 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Jays made a number of roster moves Friday.
Incoming are Canadian outfielder Dalton Pompey and infielder Richard Urena, recalled from the Triple- A Buffalo Bisons, as well as right- handed pitcher Jake Petricka, signed to the active roster. Outgoing are righthanders Joe Biagini and Carlos Ramirez as well as outfielder Dwight Smith Jr., who were sent to Buffalo. Righty Luis Santos was design ed for assignment.
First baseman Justin Smoak will rejoin the team on Sunday after a three- day paternity leave. Smoak and his wife Kristin welcomed a daughter on Thursday.