Toronto happy to have Happ back
Blue Jays notebook: Big lefty regains winning form after elbow injury put him on DL
Somewhat hidden in the bullpen blow-up on Friday night was the stellar outing from Toronto Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ, who gave up just four hits and one run in 6.2 innings.
“I think he’s picking right up where he left off,” Jays manager John Gibbons said. “He looks strong.”
Since coming off the DL with elbow issues, Happ has a tidy 1.86 ERA (four earned runs in 19.1 innings pitched) with 22 strikeouts and just one walk. Considering he was 0-4 with a 5.33 ERA before his injury was revealed, it’s been an impressive turnaround.
“It’s pretty amazing that the guy can basically pitch with (just) a fastball, but it’s what he does,” Gibbons said. “When you look at the (radar gun) reading, it’s not a 90 mile an hour fastball, but he’s so good at locating it now. He throws just enough other pitches to keep them aware of them.”
SUNSHINE FOR SANCHEZ
Starter Aaron Sanchez’s rehab from those lingering blister problems is about to get serious down in Dunedin, Fla.
The young right-hander is scheduled to pitch in a game with the Dunedin Blue Jays on Tuesday and, if all goes well, will do the same again five days later. Gibbons said that, if both of those outings go as expected, he could be ready for a major league start.
With that in mind, the best case scenario would be for Sanchez to make his return in a series at the Rogers Centre against the red-hot Houston Astros right before the allstar break.
“He’ll build off of (Tuesday’s start) and we’ll kind of see where he’s at,” Gibbons said. “We figure (a second start) should be enough, but we’ll see though. He may be a little rusty, too, because he’s been off a while.”
THE .500 CHRONICLES
In their maddening, never-ending quest to get back to the .500 mark, the Jays have to look no further than the Royals performance of late, even if some of it has come at their own expense.
On Saturday, Kansas City won its 11th of 13 to move above .500 for the first time this season. At one point, like the Jays, they were 10 games below .500 with a record of 10-20.
“That’s always your goal, especially when you are 10 games under .500 at one point, is to get to .500,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Then you can seriously start to think about competing.”
COMEBACK KIDS
That Friday night comeback made franchise history for the Royals. It was the first time in the 49-year history of the club that they rallied from a three-run deficit with two out in the ninth inning in a walk-off win.
The team did it once before on the road — back in 1988 when they scored eight two-out runs in the top of the ninth to turn a 7-3 deficit into an 11-10 win. Notable in that one was that current Jays broadcaster Pat Tabler was a part of that Royals team.
QUICK HITS
Through the first two games of the series, the Jays are just 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position … Troy Tulowitzki’s solo homer in the second inning was his first in almost a month, a grand slam vs. the Reds on May 29 … After a two-game absence with a banged-up knee, Steve Pearce returned to left field for Saturday’s game. “He’s got a big outfield to run around in, but his knee feels good enough.” … After playing first base on Friday, Kendrys Morales was given the day off.