Happ held the Seattle Mariners to seven hits and two runs in seven innings as the Blue Jays pounded out a 14-4 victory on Monday. Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
TORONTO — The Blue Jays have had some pretty good starting rotations over the years.
From 1996 through 1998, they won three consecutive American League Cy Young Awards, for example, with Pat Hentgen winning the first and Roger Clemens winning the next two.
But the Blue Jays have never had five starters win at least 10 games in a season until this year, although they have had five pitchers — including relievers — reach double-digit wins in one season three times.
Still, that seemed unlikely at the beginning of the season because the rotation was considered a weakness.
Left-hander J.A. Happ became the fifth member of the rotation to reach 10 wins this season when he held the Seattle Mariners to seven hits and two runs in seven innings as the Blue Jays pounded out a 14-4 victory on Monday.
It is probably a tribute to Happ that he has made the progress he has this season and now can be counted on to go deeper into games than in the past. It was the ninth time he has pitched at least seven innings this season and he has gone at least six 17 times in his 25 starts. He started the year on the disabled list with a sore back and put in time in the bullpen, making three relief appearances, before making his first start of the season on May 5.
“It feels good to go out and get deeper in the game, accomplish some of the goals that I kind of felt I could do and wanted to have the opportunity to do,” Happ said. “I haven’t taken a lot of time to reflect on the year but I just want to just keep going out and kind of keep us in the game for the most part.”
