The next time J.A. Happ takes the ball for the Yankees, they will have passed the season’s halfway point. Which means it’s not too early to register an opinion on the veteran left-hander.
Which means, in turn, that it’s officially OK to be concerned about Happ and his contract.
The Yankees’ eight-game winning streak screeched to a halt in the form of a 9-4 bludgeoning at the hands of the Astros on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, souring the good vibes created by Mariano Rivera’s inside-the-park home run during Old-Timers’ Day. Happ’s third pitch of the main event, a slider to Jose Altuve, went over the fence in left field, and in all, the 36-year-old recorded only 12 outs and got hammered for eight runs in his worst start of the season, and his ERA now stands at 5.