Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY

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SPORTS Monday 30 July 2018
J.A. Happ dominant in winning

Yankees debut, 6-3 over Royals

NEW YORK (AP) — J.A. by David Cone, who made day. The kids will join them
Happ had made eight pre- his Yankees debut exactly in New York on Tuesday.
vious starts at Yankee Sta- 23 years earlier after his ac- Life has been a whirlwind
dium plus a relief appear- quisition from Toronto and for the Happs.
ance in the final game of became a key cog in the "It was a little surreal out
the 2009 World Series. This team that reached that there," he said. "but a lot of
was different. year's playoffs and won fun."
"It was kind of weird looking four World Series titles in SEATS
down and seeing the pin- the following five seasons. A crowd of 46,192 was New
stripes on me," he said, "but Happ joined a rotation York's 20th home sellout,
I'm happy to get used to it." that includes Luis Severino, matching 2011 for the most
James Anthony Happ Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sa- at the new Yankee Stadi-
made the midseason im- bathia and Sonny Gray. um.
pact the Yankees hoped "I feel like in a lot of ways CLEANING UP
for, pitching one-run ball he's been underrated over Torres and Andujar on Sat-
over six innings to win his the years," Boone said. "I urday became the first
New York debut 6-3 over feel like he's more in that different Yankees rookies
the Kansas City Royals on upper tier than people to hit cleanup in the start-
Sunday. want to acknowledge." ing lineup of consecutive New York Yankees' Didi Gregorius, top, leaps over Kansas City
"It's a significant dude to the Aaron Hicks hit a two-run games since Bill Robinson Royals' Rosell Herrera after forcing him out and throwing out
rotation," Yankees manag- homer in the first off the and Steve Whitaker in a Adalberto Mondesi at first base for a double play during the
er Aaron Boone said in Cal- screen attached to the doubleheader at Chicago sixth inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 29, 2018, in New
ifornia surfer-speak, "that right-field foul pole , a drive on Aug. 22, 1967.q York.
helps in not just the days he off Burch Smith (1-2). Hicks Associated Press
pitches, hopefully, but also also doubled, singled and
just makes our staff and our walked. New York took
bullpen as a whole a little three over four against
bit better," woeful Kansas City (32-
Three days after New York 73), which traded star third
acquired the 35-year-old baseman Mike Moustakas
left-hander from Toronto for to Milwaukee on Friday for
infielder Brandon Drury and prospects. Brett Phillips, one
outfield prospect Billy McK- of those prospects, started
inney, Happ took a shutout in his Kansas City debut
into the fifth before Salva- and made a leaping catch
dor Perez's opposite-field at the top of the right-field
home run into the Yankees wall to rob Romine of a pos-
bullpen in right-center. sible three-run homer in the
Happ (11-6) allowed three fourth. Phillips' eyes were
hits, struck out two and closed as the ball landed in
walked one, and the first- his glove.
time All-Star ended a four- "Did I? Wow, that's impres-
start winless streak. sive," Phillips said.
Happ had been 4-1 as a Hunter Dozier homered off
visitor in the Bronx. He threw Chad Green in the sev-
four-seam fastballs on 64 of enth and Rosell Herrera
96 pitches against the Roy- went deep against David
als, including his first 13 of Robertson leading off the
the third inning. He mixed in eighth, the first home run
12 changeups, seven slid- of his big league career .
ers, two curveballs plus 11 Aroldis Chapman, pitch-
two-seam sinking fastballs ing on consecutive days
— all from the third inning for the first time since July
on. 1-3, struck out three straight
"His fastball definitely gets batters for his 28th save in
on you, and he likes to 29 chances , his 20th in a
pitch in on hitters," catcher row.
Austin Romine said. "It was At the time of the trade,
weird. We almost felt like Happ and the Blue Jays
I caught him before, he were in Chicago, where
was so much on the same he lives with wife Morgan,
page." 2½-year-old son J.J. and
New York (67-37) won con- 8-month-old daughter Bel-
secutive games for the first la. Morgan flew to Toronto
time since July 11-2 and re- on Saturday morning to
mained 5½ games behind pick up some of her hus-
AL East-leading Boston. The band's belongings, leaving
Yankees sought a boost the kids with the grandpar-
similar to the one provided ents, and flew out the same