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Yankees: JA Happ obviously not happy with Game 2 pitching plan

ByAdam Weinrib|
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 06: J.A. Happ #33 of the New York Yankees reacts after allowing a two run home run to Mike Zunino (not pictured) of the Tampa Bay Rays during the second inning in Game Two of the American League Division Series at PETCO Park on October 06, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 06: J.A. Happ #33 of the New York Yankees reacts after allowing a two run home run to Mike Zunino (not pictured) of the Tampa Bay Rays during the second inning in Game Two of the American League Division Series at PETCO Park on October 06, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

JA Happ was clearly not into whatever the Yankees had cooked up for Tuesday’s ALDS Game 1.

The relationship between veteran lefty JA Happ and the New York Yankees was doomed to be soured the very second he put pen to paper on a contract that included a vesting option for 2021.

All season long, buoyed by the particulars of this shortened 2020 campaign, the Yanks seemingly made it their mission to get Happ under the 10-start threshold for his expensive option by any means necessary, a task made simpler when Happ struggled more often than not to start the campaign.

Of course, against all odds, Happ was likely the team’s second most effective starter behind Gerrit Cole down the stretch, and probably thought he’d earned the comfort of a postseason start under idealized conditions — and hey, perhaps he had. Seriously.

Which explains why he wasn’t so excited to discuss his piggyback role in Game 2 of the ALDS, which he bombed at, failing to complete three innings in Deivi Garcia’s stead and leaving traffic on the bases and home run balls in the dead center field flower beds.

Trademark reactions of a pitcher who believes he was wronged, an attitude Happ has regrettably displayed throughout the year, often after poor performances.

We understand Happ didn’t believe this was ideal, but it’s the postseason. Normalcy goes out the window, especially when it comes to pitching patterns. All hands must be on deck. The Rays closer pitched the seventh inning.

At some point in this series, the Yankees needed an effective JA Happ, and they did not receive it.

Of course, we also heard Happ in the postgame hinting that his manager was lying when he asserted that he had no intention of pulling Deivi Garcia after just one inning of work. So that’s not wonderful for anyone’s relationship.

“I’ll let Aaron talk about that.” Just great.

Whether the scent was emanating from Happ’s performance or his discomfort, something stunk about Tuesday night’s artful door-opening job that firmly let the Rays sneak back into this series.

And the lefty on the mound didn’t enjoy the chicanery any more than you did.

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