Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Well, thanks to a series of unfortunate events, J.A. Happ‘s much-anticipated somewhat-anticipated return to the Toronto Blue Jays was anything but ha … pleasant. (Sorry — can’t do it)
The sad part? It really shouldn’t have been that way. After all, this was a Blue Jays team that had the game firmly in hand, carrying a 7-2 lead headed into the bottom of the fourth after an offensive explosion in the opening frames that gave Seattle Mariners‘ Aaron Harang an early trip to the showers.
But if there’s anything Toronto fans know about the 2013 bluebirds … it’s that games are never truly in hand, are they?
So, with an inning that seeming only this team can produce with regularity (though probably just a false impression, but after months of overwhelming disappointments stacking on top of one another … can you blame anyone for thinking it?), the feel-good story of Happ’s return took a sharp narrative turn, as he too found his outing filed in a pile next to those from the team’s other starters.
In a way, you could almost say he fit right in.
The lefty ended up being responsible for seven runs (six earned) on seven hits and three walks through four labored innings, while striking out just two. Not all of it was his fault, though, as it was an uncharacteristic stumble from fellow lefty Aaron Loup that allowed the M’s to put together the tail end of a six-run inning that can only be described as “oh, it’s the 2013 Blue Jays”.
Fielding error by Brett Lawrie? Check. Four hits, including a two-run homer allowed by Loup to Humberto Quintero of all people? Check. A wild pitch just a couple of batters prior? Why not.
While there is something of a silver lining in the fact that the Blue Jays did score those seven runs to take control of the game early, it’s the way they lost it that will ultimately leave the lasting impression. As for Happ, I think it’d be fair for the team to chalk up the rough outing to some rust, but with just one clean inning against what had been a slumping M’s team, there’s clearly a fair bit of work left to be done.
