Jays grab a share of AL East lead again as Happ becomes the latest to shut down the Astros

HOUSTON— The Blue Jays are regarded throughout Major League Baseball as an offensive powerhouse and they usually are. Even after a slow start, they rank second in the American League in runs scored this year.

But their success to this point in the season has arguably been built just as much, if not more, on their starting rotation, which leads the majors in innings pitched and the American League with a 3.63 ERA.

It’s thanks to their rotation that they took three of four games from the Astros here in Houston this week, despite scoring just 10 times in the entire series.

On Thursday it was veteran lefty J.A. Happ, who held the Astros to just one run over six solid innings to lead the Jays to a 4-1 win. It was the fourth consecutive game — and the fifth time in the last six — in which the Jays’ starter allowed just one run, going back to Happ’s last start, Saturday’s 9-1 victory over Baltimore.

The new-and-improved Jays bullpen also did its part on Thursday, as Joaquin Benoit, Jason Grilli and Roberto Osuna combined to throw three scoreless innings.

For Happ, who at 33 is enjoying the best season since his 2009 rookie campaign, it was the 12th time in his 22 starts this year that he has held the opposition to one or no runs. Since the middle of last season, the once-again Blue Jay — and former Astro — has been one of the best.

Happ allowed just one baserunner in his first four innings on Thursday, before a pair of doubles in the fifth cut the Jays’ two-run lead in half. In the sixth, Happ ran into trouble when he issued a leadoff walk before a single and fly out moved the tying run to third base with just one out. But he induced a ground ball from Carlos Correa, the young Astros shortstop, that the Jays’ infield converted for a game-saving double-play.

Another facet of their game often overshadowed by their offence, the Jays are in fact the most efficient team in the American League at turning balls in play into outs, according to Baseball Prospectus’s defensive efficiency rating.

While the score was tight for most of the game, Edwin Encarnacion added an insurance run in the ninth when he led off the inning with his 30th home run of the season, giving him five consecutive 30-homer seasons.

The only hitter in Jays history with more is Carlos Delgado, who accomplished the feat eight times. Encarnacion, who leads the majors with 91 RBIs, needs just two more homers to join Jose Bautista in the 300 club.

With Thursday’s win — and Baltimore’s loss to the Texas Rangers — the Jays moved into a tie for first with the Orioles.

The Jays also set a new majorleague record by striking out 61 times in the four-game series.