Jays bullpen holds on for 3-2 win over Rangers

J.A. Happ struck out eight batters in a rare start as the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen held on for a 3-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday.

Happ (2-1) had his best outing of the season, going six innings and only giving up two hits and a run. It was only Happ’s third start since joining the Blue Jays (56-63). He’d been coming out of the bullpen since being traded to Toronto by the Houston Astros on July 20.

Closer Casey Janssen retired three in a row in the ninth to earn the save.

Yu Darvish (12-9) was dominant for Texas (68-50), fanning 10 over seven innings of work. He gave up three hits and three earned runs while walking one.

Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion led the Blue Jays offence with a two-run homer in the first. Encarnacion returned to the lineup after missing Thursday’s 7-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox. He had soreness in his left shoulder and forearm after making a diving play in left field Wednesday night.

Happ tied a Blue Jays record with his six consecutive strikeouts in the second and third innings. He matched Ted Lilly — against the Boston Red Sox in 2004 — and Mark Rzepczynski, who completed the feat in 2010 versus the New York Yankees.

No Texas player reached base until second baseman Ian Kinsler walked to lead off the fourth and Happ didn’t give up a hit until Rangers first baseman Michael Young singled to shallow centre field in the fifth.

Young started a rally, however, as David Murphy singled to right and both runners advanced on Geovany Soto’s sacrifice bunt. Young then scored on Craig Gentry’s groundout to second.

Texas’ threat ended when Mike Olt flied out to deep left and Toronto maintained its narrow 2-1 lead.

Speedy Anthony Gose had a broken-bat triple — the first triple of his major league career — in the bottom of the fifth. Gentry tracked the ball closely in centre field but missed the diving catch.

Gose was brought home by a Rajai Davis single to give Toronto a 3-1 lead. Davis stole second and then third, but the Blue Jays couldn’t bring him home as Kelly Johnson struck out swinging to end the inning.

Happ was replaced by right-hander Steve Delabar to start the seventh. Delabar struggled, loading the bases on a walk, a single and another walk. Adrian Beltre then scored when Blue Jays third baseman Omar Vizquel couldn’t handle Olt’s hit up the line.

Vizquel was charged with the error and Brandon Lyon was brought in to replace Delabar. Kinsler grounded into a fielder’s choice at second to end the seventh with Toronto still ahead 3-2.

Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion got the Blue Jays on the board in the first, driving in Johnson with a two-run blast along the left-field line.