Rough start for Happ, Jays lose to A’s

Blue Jays 3 A’s 5

I feel sorry for J.A. Happ. He, likely, should have had a couple more rehab starts, but, with the state of our full in starters, he didn’t get that luxury.

He only gave up 4 hits, in 5.1 innings. But then there were 3 walks and the 2 home runs, both by Ryon Healy. The homers drove in all 5 runs against him.

One of the hits, a single in the second inning, was the weirdest hit I’ve ever seen. A liner that curved away from Darwin Barney at second. It looked like it would be an easy catch....maybe a double play, but, off the bat, it looked like it was going to Barney’s left, but curved hard and went by him on his right. Barney moved left and then couldn’t get back to the ball.

And, of course, Healy hit a homer after that.

Happ was missing his spots, I’d imagine it will take a couple of starts to get his command back.

The Jays should have scored more.

• We scored 1 in the first. Kevin Pillar walked (he’s looking better at that plate) and Josh Donaldson drove him in with a double, but we couldn’t score Josh.
• In the second, Troy Tulowitzki led off with a double, but that’s where he’d stay.
• Josh had a 1-out walk, in the third, but that was it.
• Justin Smoak led off the 4th with a single, but he stayed at first.
• We got 1 run in the fifth. Ezequiel Carrera walked (a great 10 pitch at bat), Pillar scored him with a double. Kevin moved to 3rd on a ground out, and ‘went on contact’, but Jose Bautista’s hard hit grounder went right at short stop Chad Pinder and Pillar was out easy.
• The sixth was our only 3 up 3 down inning, and that was because Smoak hit his deep field to the big part of a big park.
• Carrera singled, in the 7th, but that was it. I thought we had runs when Josh smashed a liner, but it went straight into the third baseman’s glove.
• We scored on a Smoak solo homer, in the 8th. We had another crushed ball into a glove that inning, Jose lined one, again, hard into third baseman Trevor Plouffe’s glove.
• The 9th didn’t go well. Ryan Goins struck out (second time in his 2 at bats, he pinch hit for Barney who also had 2 strikeouts in 2 at bats. Heal up quick Travis). Ezequiel walk (another good at bat), bringing the tying run to the plate. Pillar hit into a force. Josh tried to tie it, he was swinging hard, but not making contact.

We out hit the A’s 7 to 5, but didn’t get the hits when we needed them.

Smoak and Tulo had 2 hits each. Ezequiel had a hit and 2 walks, including the one in the 9th, giving us a chance.

We had 0 fors from Bautista (but he had the hard line out, he also was robbed on a ‘strike three’ check swing call by the first base ump), Kendrys Morales (0 for 4, 3 k), Martin (0 for 4, 2 k) and Goin and Barney shared an 0 for 4, with 4 ks.

Danny Barnes did a great job, coming into the 6th with a runner on second and 1 out, and got out of it, getting Healy to ground out. And he pitched a quick perfect 7th.

Jeff Beliveau got his first action for the Jays, pitching the 8th. He gave up a leadoff double, but stopped the A’s from getting another insurance run. He looked much better than J.P. Howell.

No Jays of the Day. Josh had the high mark at .075.

Suckage: Happ (-.310 WPA), Bautista (-.147) and Martin (-.113).

I really wanted this one.

We had 784 comments in the GameThread. Pretty good for a late night loss. Barraqudie led the way. Great job.