SORRY, ’MATE!
Bombers club potential future Yankee Happ
Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ is often mentioned as a possible trade target for the Yankees, but he didn’t raise his stock Saturday. The lefty failed to last three innings, allowing six runs in the Bombers’ 8-5 victory in Toronto.
TORONTO — On the same day the Yankees assaulted a possible future teammate with their lumber, they watched two very important cogs leave with physical issues.
After Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge greeted Blue Jays lefty J.A. Happ with homers to start the game and ignite a four-run, first-inning rally that carried the Yankees to an 8-5 win in front of 44,352 at Rogers Centre on Saturday, center fielder Aaron Hicks and closer Aroldis Chapman left with leg problems.
Happ may or not become a Yankee before the July 31 trading deadline, but Hicks and Chapman, an All-Star lock, have played a large part in the Yankees’ success. They evolved into a bigger story than Happ giving up six runs, four hits (two homers) and walking a seasonhigh six in 2 2/3 innings.
Though Aaron Boone and Hicks downplayed the left leg cramp that forced Hicks out of the game in the fifth inning, Chapman’s words carried a bit more concern about the left knee he has been battling tendinitis in for a while.
“Today I felt it landing, which is the first time when pitching,’’ said Chapman, who explained he felt it in the bullpen but still entered the game in the ninth with the Yankees leading, 8-4, and in a non-save situation. “I felt it when I was walking, but today was completely different, a different sensation, more pain.’’
After Chapman struck out Randal Grichuk starting the ninth, trainer Steve Donohue and Boone went to the mound after they detected Chapman’s body motion was a tick slower than usual and removed him.
“I think he is OK, too, it was just with the four-run lead and the out I didn’t want to take any chances with it,’’ Boone said. “He said he was fine to continue but I didn’t want to mess with it.’’
Happ (10-5) is considered the jewel among the possible starting pitchers to be moved before the July 31 deadline, but he looked more like Kenny Rogers circa Yankees than the missing piece to a World Series team which the Yankees aspire to be.
“I don’t know, potentially subconsciously, I know these last two have not been really me or what I feel I’m known for, certainly not what I’m capable of,’’ the 35-year-old lefty said when asked if the trade talks affected him. “Having said that, I was ready to pitch. It didn’t go my way. I have to find a way to stop that as soon as possible.’’
After Gardner and Judge smoked Happ, Brandon Drury’s bloop double scored two runs in the first. Happ walked Giancarlo Stanton and Hicks in front of the hit that bounced off the turf and over center fielder Kevin Pillar’s head. Three more runs in the third when the Yankees chased Happ presented ace Luis Severino with a 7-2 bulge, but Severino, working without his signature slider, lasted only five innings in which he gave up three runs, five hits (two homers) and two walks. Thanks to his teammates it was enough to win a fifth straight game, hike the record to 14-2 and put him in position to be the AL starting pitcher in the AllStar Game.
As for Hicks, who has 10 homers in his past 20 games, Boone didn’t believe the cramp was serious, though the manager vowed to rest the center fielder on Sunday.
“It cramped up sliding into second, it never hurt or anything,’’ said Hicks, who went 0-for-1, walked twice and scored a run. “It was one of those things they didn’t want to take a chance with.’’
It remains to be seen if the Yankees take a chance on Happ, who in fairness should be judged on his entire body of work and not one game. Yet, more important to the Yankees is the health of Chapman’s left knee, because while their bullpen is deep and talented, Chapman has converted 24 of 25 saves with a tripledigit fastball and a knee-locking slider.