Shaky Happ looking like Bombers’ breaking point
Life looks different for J.A. Happ. His season looks the same.
Returning from the paternity list — following the birth of his “third and final child” — for Sunday night’s start against the Red Sox, Happ earned an easy win after receiving a seven-run cushion in the Yankees’ 7-4 win in The Bronx, but the 36-yearold’s latest mediocre outing again hinted at the potential disaster looming from Brian Cashman’s reluctance to upgrade the rotation before the trade deadline.
Happ (9-6), whose ERA increased to 5.24, allowed four runs over 5 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits and one walk, with three strikeouts.
Entering with a 5.64 ERA in 12 starts at Yankee Stadium this season, Happ actually looked at home in the first four frames, appearing to be cruising to one of his best performances of the season.
The lefty faced the minimum six batters through two innings, and ended a third-inning threat by beating Rafael Devers in a race to first base, following a grounder to the right side by the Red Sox third baseman.
“I thought he mixed pitches really well,” Aaron Boone said of Happ’s early innings. “I thought his conviction was good. I thought he was really pitch efficient, which was good to see.”
Happ returned in the fourth with a 7-0 lead, and pitched a perfect inning through the heart of Boston’s order, finally resembling last season’s sparkling midseason acquisition, who earned a two-year, $34 million contract after going 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA in his first season in pinstripes.
“I thought I was being aggressive and trying to get strike one,” Happ said. “I thought command overall was pretty good.”
Christian Vazquez ended the shutout with a solo homer in the fifth. Michael Chavis made it back-to-back shots for Boston. Happ, who gave up a career-worst 27 home runs last season, has now given up 26 this season, including six over his past four starts.
Happ was on track to complete six innings for the second straight start — following a career-worst seven consecutive starts failing to finish six — but allowed a two-out single to J.D. Martinez, and walk to Sam Travis. After a wild pitch from Happ put both runners in scoring position, Andrew Benintendi laced a two-run single, slicing the Yankees lead to 7-4.
Happ, who was removed after throwing 91 pitches (54 strikes), had a brief message for his teammates after the sweep.
“I just said, ‘Let’s keep the blinders on, man, because there’s all the outside, the injuries, the trade deadline, performance, all these things going on the outside that we try to ignore,” Happ said. “And I think we’ve done a good job of that.”