How did Marcus Stroman’s outing rank against other Blue Jays returns?

3. J.A. Happ – 2019

The Blue Jays had J.A. Happ in the rotation on two different occasions and fans saw two different versions of the veteran southpaw.

The first time they acquired him through a trade in 2012, he was more of a back of the rotation arm.  He was traded away to the Seattle Mariners prior to the 2015 season, but the club signed him back for the 2016 season on a three-year deal worth $36 million which turned out to be a steal for the club.

In the two and half years from when he returned to the club, Happ put up a 40-21 record which included him becoming just the sixth different pitcher in team history to win 20-games in one season.  In the final year of his contract and the team nine games under .500, Ross Atkins traded him days before the trade deadline to the New York Yankees.  I was shocked at the time of the trade and still baffled today that all they got in return was two bench players (Brandon Drury and Billy McKinney). Happ would post a 7-0 record to help the Yankees advance into the playoffs.

Happ would sign a two-year deal worth $34 million to stay with the Yankees and would return to Toronto to face the Blue Jays the following June.

The Illinois product went on to post one of his best pitching performances of the season that and it was the only game he would throw more than 100-pitches that year.  Happ would never face more than four batters in a single inning or see more than one player reach base.  It took a lead-off home run by Eric Sogard in the bottom of the sixth inning for the Blue Jays to break the shutout.  Happ would respond by getting the next six of seven batters out to finish his outing and the only batter to reach was on an error by Yankees shortstop Thairo Estrada.  Happ would finish the day with seven innings, allowing just one run to record his sixth win of the season.

Pitching Line: 7IP | 4H | 1R |1ER | 0BB | 4K | 1HR